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Scottish Institute of Sport supported curlers Kelly Wood, Jackie Lockhart, Lorna Vevers and Lindsay Wood have been awarded an Athlete Personal Award (APA) through British Curling. The APA will enhance their training and competition programme.
UK Sport distributes lottery funding to help Britain's best and most talented athletes achieve podium success. Athletes are nominated by governing bodies of sport, who have been awarded funding to provide the essential support services, such as coaching, training camps, competition and sport science.
In addition to the centrally provided services, athletes can apply for a subsistence award, which provides a contribution to the essential personal living and sporting costs incurred whilst training and competing as an elite athlete.
The award was given to Team Wood after they successfully captured a bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships.
Following in the footsteps of World Champions and fellow Institute of Sport supported athletes Dave Murdoch, Euan Byers and Ewan MacDonald, who were awarded a level B award last year, Team Wood are already reaping the benefits.
Through the award the team have been able to enter a top level Canadian and extra European competition and extend their training, including an additional training camp before Christmas 2007.
Scottish Institute of Sport head curling coach and British curling performance director Derek Brown commented on the award. “Through this award Team Wood are able to spend more time with fitness and on-ice training. Without this support we would never have been able to compete in Canada twice this year and would possibly have pulled out of the extra European competition.”
Not only does the award support elite athletes in their extended programmes but also supports them in managing time off work, without them being left out of pocket.
Chairman of British Curling, Chris Hildrey, added “Improving the quality and standard of training and competition for our top level British Curling athletes is very important if we want to continue winning medals at Olympic, World and European competitions. This APA award helps curling retain World Class talent and provides Team Wood additional support in the light of their achievement of a World Championship medal earlier this year.”
