Warwickshire News Mine

The County Athletes Programme (CAP) is supported by Warwickshire County Council and will provide support to 17 budding sports stars from across Warwickshire to maintain their training and help them progress towards representing Great Britain.

This year’s programme was launched last week in an event at St Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry, where the successful bursary applicants were congratulated and formally recognised for their achievements so far.

The county council-funded £10,000 annual bursary scheme will provide additional support for the elite band who are already competing at either regional, national or international level in a variety of sports from badminton to slalom canoeing.

The 17 talented youngsters aged eight to 19 will each receive a grant from the three-tiered funding package to aid their development over the next year.

The Warwickshire athletes are:
Nuneaton and Bedworth
James Burden, swimming, from Bedworth, aged 16, attends King Edward VI College
Bodie Miles, Kung-Fu, Nuneaton, aged eight, Stockingford Junior School
Rikki Morris, swimming, Nuneaton, aged 19, King Edward VI College
Kyle Sweet, Judo, Nuneaton, aged 14, Alderman Smith School
Rhys Walker, badminton, Nuneaton, aged 15. Higham Lane School
Shannon Kincade, Taekwondo, Bedworth, aged 15, Higham Lane School

Warwick
Eleanor Cormack, fencing, from Kenilworth, aged 12, attends Kenilworth School
Hannah Maurice, ice hockey, Kenilworth, aged 17, Kenilworth Castle Sixth Form
Tim Walton, sailing, Kenilworth, aged 15, Warwick School
Scott Willson, ice figure skating, Kenilworth, aged 11, Pattison Dance Academy
Sarah-Jane Perry, squash, Kenilworth, aged 18, Warwick University

Rugby
Alex Czerniewski, field hockey, from Rugby, aged 16, attends Lawrence Sheriff School
Lauren Taylor, golf, Rugby, aged 14, Ashlawn School
Kimberley Woods, canoe slalom from Rugby, 15, Trinity Catholic School

Stratford
Camilla Hadland, rowing, from Stratford, aged 16, attends Stratford Upon Avon High School
John Simmons, fencing, Wilmcote, aged 15, King Edward VI School

North Warwickshire
Nathan Woodward, athletics, from Coleshill, aged 19, attends Loughborough University

Great Britain hockey international Rachel Walker gave an inspiring speech to the athletes at the launch as she talked about the sacrifices she made to reach international level.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Children, Young People and Families, presented the athletes with their CAP hoodies and certificates for being selected.

She said: “This programme recognises the talented young sports people we have in Warwickshire. It is designed to help them in their chosen sporting pathway to achieve their ultimate potential.

“The bursary will ease some of the financial burden placed on them and on their parents and help with training, equipment, transport, accommodation at events, cost of competing and specialist coaching.

“We have some amazing young athletes who are already representing GB and competing at European and international level, and they have the drive, support and ambition necessary to take them to future Olympic events to come.

“We hope that with this backing from Warwickshire County Council, many young athletes will be going for gold at future Olympics and competing for world championships. Our dream is to have Warwickshire athletes at the 2012 London Games and at other major events on the sporting calendar.”

Warwickshire County Council is working with the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Sports Partnership, who will administer the CAP programme. This is the second year of the bursary scheme which will now run annually.

The bursary scheme is open to anyone who lives in the county aged 25 or under who is in full time education and achieving regional standard or above in their chosen sport.

Link to WCC