SDS Athlete Academy 2023-24

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) has announced the 2023-24 Athlete Academy. The athlete academy aims to supplement the continued development of the most promising and talented para-athletes at a pivotal stage in their athlete journey.

Each athlete received a funding grant, and will also receive key elements of performance education to support their progression into high performance sport.

SDS work closely various partners to develop a programme of workshops and training opportunities to best prepare the athletes for when they progress to a UK Sport funded programme or equivalent.

The SDS athlete Academy was relaunched in 2021 and has ran an annual programme for athletes since thanks to a partnership with independent charity SportsAid Scotland.

Many of the athletes are targeting the Paralympic Games and Commonwealth Games and SportsAid Scotland have been assisted in their support through The Robertson Trust.

The programme is open to Scottish Governing Body (SGB) or National Governing Body (NGB) athletes with the potential to succeed at national and International level.

Athletes are selected based on strict criteria relating to performance levels, attitude to training and commitment to their sport. Each athlete must be eligible to compete for Scotland and the selection criteria is aligned with that of SportsAid Scotland.

The 2023-24 intake includes 23 athletes across 11 sports – details below.

Jennifer Barsby, SDS Performance Manager, commented: “It is great to be able to support para athletes at an important stage in their sporting journey with funding and a programme of education that will provide the tools to aid their progression through the pathway. We are delighted to be able to run the programme again for 23 athletes across 11 sports in partnership with SportsAid Scotland and to have the backing of their Governing Bodies.”

Roddy Mackenzie, SportsAid Scotland Chief Executive, said: “We are more than happy to continue our partnership which has been rewarding on both sides. We know how committed Scotland’s top athletes are but para-athletes are on a different level and we have huge admiration for what they do and the fantastic work done by Scottish Disability Sport.”

Samantha Gough, Goalball Athlete, said: “I am very grateful to be a part of the SDS Athlete Academy. Being surrounded by athletes like myself determined and motivated to reach the top and achieve goals that we set ourselves. The academy supports athletes with their mindset and focusing on parts of our job that can be challenging such as keeping your head in game. We aim to achieve the best version of ourselves as an elite athlete with the support of the SDS athlete academy .”

For further information, please see below: