Isle Of Wight Sporting Stars Selected For Talented Athlete Scheme

Wednesday, 22 February 2023 17:18

By Dominic Kureen @WriteOnDom

Jenny Ball (left) and squash superstar Olivia Holbrook

Scores of Isle of Wight sporting stars have been selected to be part of the Isle of Wight Council’s Talented Athlete Scheme for 2023.

Gifted sportsmen and women competing at county level or higher in a non-professional capacity receive support to help them progress within their chosen sports.

Wightlink has sponsored the scheme since its creation in 2013, providing athletes with discounted travel to help with travel to mainland events and training.

Scheme participants also have access to the council’s leisure facilities and receive discounts with specialist sports and health businesses on the Island:

Love Running, Cowes Chiropractic Clinic, RMA Sports Injury Clinic, Physio Care (Isle of Wight), Amanda Buggy Soft Tissue Therapy & Nutrition and Ceyreste Performance.

This year’s scheme supports 68 athletes aged between 8 and 84, with 24 of those new to the scheme for 2023.

Eight-year-old Olivia Holbrook (pictured) is one of this year’s newcomers.

The talented squash player from Ryde regularly travels to the mainland to compete in tournaments at a county level.

Veterans of the scheme include 84-year-old Jenny Ball (below) from Newport who remains a formidable competitor in the pool, travelling around the country to take part in British Masters events.

She said:

“I feel very proud to be part of the Talented Athlete Scheme; it is such an important scheme for the Island and I have seen first-hand how it has allowed gifted sportsmen and women to progress within their sports.

"Wightlink’s support is particularly helpful given the amount of travel involved when competing at a higher level.”

Wightlink chief executive, Keith Greenfield, said:

“Over the past ten years we have had the pleasure of seeing athletes on the scheme excel within their sports.

“We are looking forward to following the progress of this year’s Talented Athletes and sharing their successes via our social media."

A full list of the athletes supported via the Talented Athlete Scheme is available online.

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Isle Of Wight Sporting Stars Selected For Talented Athlete Scheme

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