Rio and future hopefuls supported by GO GOLD Funding Programme
Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport (LRS) and its partners are pleased to support local talented athletes through the GO GOLD Funding Programme. 109 athletes from 25 different sports have been successful in receiving grants ranging from £100-£1,000, as part of Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport’s, 2016 GO GOLD Funding Programme – Podium Level.
Podium level funding is provided by Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council and Rutland County Council to those athletes who are competing at Regional level or higher.
The aim of GO GOLD is to support talented athletes who are being recognised by their National Governing Bodies of Sport as being our future Olympic, Paralympic, Special Olympic and Commonwealth Games participants. Through their applications, a number of the athletes have been identified as hopefuls for this summer’s Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The athletes were recognised at two presentation evenings held on 26 January and 4 February which were hosted by the Chairman of Leicestershire County Council, David Snartt, at County Hall and supported by Drew Sullivan, Leicester Riders Forward and Team GB Captain.
Drew spoke about what was the hardest thing for him about basketball, in which he relived the time he walked into his first Basketball practice and advised the young GO GOLD athletes:
"Whenever there are times you’re feeling uncomfortable in a situation, those tough moments when you’re perhaps struggling with form, remember why you are here, how you got there, why you love your sport and what you have achieved; because when you look back and reflect, it will make the road ahead much clearer and make you understand the sacrifices you’ve made”.
Athletes have been successful from all nine districts across Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland. All Podium level athletes will also receive free Leisure passes to their local Leisure Centre, to support their training programme.
- Blaby - 17 athletes supported
- Charnwood – 21 athletes supported
- Harborough – 19 athletes supported
- Hinckley & Bosworth – 8 athletes supported
- Leicester City – 18 athletes supported
- Melton – 4 athletes supported
- North West Leicestershire – 7 athletes supported
- Oadby & Wigston – 6 athletes supported
- Rutland – 9 athletes supported
Simon Mabey, father of Sam Mabey (Blaby) who plays Table Tennis and is ranked 2nd nationally at Under 21 level said:
“GO GOLD has supported Sam from a young age and he is living proof of the benefit of the support given. The GO GOLD funding has enabled us to increase his training, fund the trips abroad to train and play against the best players. With his dedication and talent and the support given through GO GOLD, Sam is knocking on the door of the senior National Team”.
The Chairman’s Trophy, which recognises the greatest improvement of an athlete over a 12 month period, was awarded at the final presentation evening. The award went to Dylan Malpas from Leicester City for his achievements as the England and GB Blind Football Sighted Goalkeeper.
All the GO GOLD athletes will be blogging throughout the year on their competition and training progress – visit www.lrsport.org/blogs to read the latest blogs.
Leicester-Shire & Rutland Sport (LRS) is the County Sport Partnership (CSP) for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland. Our focus is to ensure that national sport and physical activity resources have local reach.
County Sport Partnerships (CSPs) like LRS have been set up by Sport England as the delivery system for the development of sport and physical activity at a county level, working across the sporting landscape, actively supporting partners to increase participation in sport and physical activity.
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