Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) has today announced a partnership with independent charity SportsAid Scotland to re-launch the SDS Athlete Academy, a multi-sport support structure for talented para-athletes.
The academy aims to supplement the continued development of the most promising and talented para-athletes at a pivotal stage in their athlete journey.
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.
Each athlete will receive a funding allocation, whilst also receiving key elements of performance education to support their progression into high performance sport.
SDS work closely with the sportscotland Institute of Sport and other external 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 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 2021-2022 intake includes 27 athletes across 12 sports.
Gary Fraser, SDS Performance Manager, commented:
“It is an exciting time to be involved in performance disability sport, and the standard of athlete that has been selected for the SDS Athlete Academy indicates a promising future for Scottish para-athletes competing on the international stage. Athletes at this stage of the performance pathway require more support, whether it be financial or educational, and we are delighted to be able to offer the programme again with the support of SportsAid Scotland and our other key partners.”
Roddy Mackenzie, SportsAid Scotland Chief Executive, said:
“We are more than happy to support such an invaluable project. Athletes have found it increasingly difficult training in isolation during the pandemic and we feel this is a way of bringing them together and giving them a collective identity.”
Gemma Lumsdaine, GBWR Pathway Athlete, said:
“Being part of the SDS Athlete Academy is such a privilege, I am really excited to be part of a group of athletes who are all striving towards their goals. I think the fact that there is such a wide range of experience and sports within the academy will really help us to learn from each other and also support each other as we progress. The academy will provide us with expertise and education which is extremely valuable to me and will enable me to be the best athlete I can be.“
For further information, please visit https://scottishdisabilitysport.com/sds-athlete-academy/