National age group, European and Commonwealth games youth medallists are among the record number of talented young British athletes who are to receive RPMF Grants Awards for 2016.
National age group hammer record holder Taylor Campbell, race walk record holder Callum Wilkinson, middle distance rising star Harriet Knowles-Jones, T37 class World Junior gold medallist Amy Carr and Commonwealth Youth high-jump gold medallist Niamh Emerson (pictured, photo by Mark Shearman) are just some of those among the 221 athletes from 119 different clubs to have been handed grants amounting to £44,600.
These Annual Grants are designed to make a difference and range in value depending on the athletes’ ages, ability and personal circumstances. They have been created with the aim of assisting athletes to develop, helping recipients to make the difficult transition from junior to senior level through support for equipment, specialist coaching or travel and importantly helping to build the athletes’ confidence and self-esteem through recognition.
More than three-quarters of British track and field teams at recent Olympics have benefitted from RPMF grants at some stage – including all the 2012 medallists Jessica Ennis-Hill, Mo Farah, Christine Ohuruogu, Greg Rutherford and Robbie Grabarz. The RPMF continues to support rising young British talent with this latest wave of recipients being chosen from more than 470 applications, itself a new record.
Of the athletes who are being helped, 35% are sprinters or hurdlers, 28% middle-distance runners, 17% being throwers, 14% jumpers and 7% from combined event.
