Cash backing to help youngsters achieve sporting dreams

Leamington and Warwick’s talented young athletes have been given valuable backing as they aspire to achieve their sporting ambitions.

A group of 25 young sports stars from across Coventry and Warwickshire - including four from the Leamington and Warwick area - were awarded a total fund of £13,000.

The bursaries were awarded during a special event at Coventry University’s Westwood Heath Sports Pavilion in Coventry.

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CAP, now in its fourth year, is a bursary scheme co-ordinated by CSW Sport which provides support to talented athletes from across the sub-region.

The funding is used by athletes to assist their development by covering some of the costs associated with their sports including coaching, equipment, travel and competition entry fees.

The athletes were presented with their awards by Leamington’s 100m hurdler and London 2012 hopeful Sara McGreavy, Carolyn Robbins and Mark Gore from Warwickshire County Council and Councillor John Mutton, leader of Coventry City Council.

The Leamington and Warwick-based athletes recognised during the presentations were fencing star Eleanor Cormack, orienteer Hamish Rogers, tae kwon-do expert Dylan Hey and squash player Chloe Pearson.

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Pearson, 16, who attends Castle Sixth Form and is currently ranked nationally as number one at under-17 level, said: “I will be able to use this bursary for travel expenses and hotels because I need to travel a lot to get to different tournaments.

“My parents are very supportive and cover a lot of my costs so they are pleased I have got this bursary as it obviously helps.

“I came second in the National Championships last year and the World Championships are in July.

“I set myself three goals this year - to get picked for the under-17 European team, the under-19 European team and the under-19 World Championship team.

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“I have achieved the first two so far and hopefully I can make the World Championship team in July.”

The scheme forms part of a local London 2012 project, Team Coventry and Warwickshire, which aims to offer provision and support for young talented athletes to reach their full sporting potential.

Will Bastin, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership assistant for the 2012 Games, said: “Training and competing at a high standard can be very costly for young athletes and their families but schemes like this provide valuable monetary and development support to help the youngsters reach the next level of their sporting career.

“For many of these athletes, London 2012 will be a huge inspiration for them in focusing on the challenges that lay ahead of them to reach Commonwealth, World and Olympic championships in the future.

“The CAP bursary scheme underlines our partners’ commitment to helping the next generation of talented athletes achieve their goals and continue the region’s proud sporting heritage.”

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