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Aspiring athletes from Jersey are being invited to apply for funding to help them on their journey to professional sporting careers.
Jersey Sport's Performance Pathway Programme aims to support talented local sportsmen and women with their development and create a feeder pathway into UK and international programmes and professional sporting systems.
The goal is to enable athletes to fulfil their sporting dreams and potentially achieve medal success on the international stage at the Olympic Games and other major championships.
Professional athletes from Olympic, Paralympic, non-Olympic and professional sports are being asked to submit an Expression of Interest in their chosen sport(s).
CEO of Jersey Sport, David Kennedy (pictured top), said being a promising athlete in Jersey comes with "significant financial burden" which this Programme hopes to alleviate.
“There are many variables to being a successful athlete", he said. "However, living in an island adds to the significant financial burden required to compete at a high level.
"The Performance Sport Programme aims to support Jersey's most talented athletes by providing services that will help them achieve their potential and hopefully see our island exceed its future sporting expectations.”
Athletes do not have to be currently based in Jersey to be eligible for the Programme, for example they may currently be at university, but they must have been born in Jersey to be considered for funding or have lived on the island for two consecutive years before they apply.
Pictured: Jersey Sport are seeking talented Jersey-born athletes to apply for the Performance Programme.
Applications for athletes can also include recommendations from coaches or sports clubs.
The Performance Sport Programme is a two-stage process. The Expressions of Interest will be reviewed by the Performance Working Group which were selected earlier this summer.
A select group of interested athletes will be divided into three profile categories, ‘Podium’, ‘Podium Potential’ and ‘Talent’ and invited to make a formal application to be considered for funding.
That funding is intended to go towards training, competition of living costs of sporting ambitions.
Athletes selected for interview by the Working Group will fit one of three categories:
A 'Podium' or elite athlete will have won titles/medals and/or represented their country at a senior level in a major international sporting competition, including athletes from professional teams. They will possess a strong medal potential in international competition in the next four years or less.
A 'Podium Potential' or developing athlete will demonstrate the potential to deliver international success or medal winning performances on the world stage at senior competition level in the next eight years.
Athletes given a Talent or development profile will demonstrate the potential to perform at a world class level and have been selected in National/Regional squads for their age group to any of the UK talent pathways.
Expressions of Interest for anyone fitting the criteria listed above may be submitted to Jersey Sport to be considered for selection on to the Performance Sport Programme.
The closing date for submissions is 15 September 2024 at 19:00.
To find out more about the Programme or to submit an Expression of Interest, click HERE.
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