Linlithgow sprint kayaker, Sean Redmond, was amongst a group of promising young athletes from a wide range of sports nominated for the annual Fields in Trust (FIT) Awards at Dundee City Chambers this month.

The athletes were nominated by their Scottish sports governing bodies for their significant achievements in the 2008 season.
 
Fourteen year old Sean has only been a kayaker for two years but is already making a splash and is equally impressive at all distances between 500 metres and seven mile Marathon. Last July he won the silver medal in his first British Championships, a position he hopes to improve on this year. He is Scotland under 14 boys Sprint champion. 
 
“I started paddling when a friend suggested I joined him and I went down to the loch here at Linlithgow,” said Sean, a member of Linlithgow Kayak Racing.  “I’d done some river kayaking before so I knew what to do.”
 
His improvement has been rapid and matched by his progression through the various levels of coaching.  Having been in the Scottish Canoe Association’s (SCA) Development squad he was promoted recently to the Performance squad.  
 
This month he joined the Central Scotland Institute of Sport (CSIS), which provides high performance expertise to Scotland’s potential world class talent.  Its expert teams work together to deliver essential support services locally in sports medicine, sports science, strength and conditioning, and career and lifestyle guidance.
 
Working with Wai Mun Lee, CSIS Strength & Conditioning coach at Forth Valley College, in two sessions a week he feels he is “learning a lot more and it is helping a lot.” 
 
He hopes the combination will help him make the Great Britain junior team.