Wightlink to support Isle of Wight athletes in 2023

Scores of Isle of Wight sporting stars have been selected to be part of the Isle of Wight Council’s Talented Athlete Scheme for 2023.

Gifted sportsmen and women competing at county level or higher in a non-professional capacity receive support to help them progress within their chosen sports.

Wightlink has sponsored the scheme since its creation in 2013, providing athletes with discounted travel to help with travel to mainland events and training.

Scheme participants also have access to the council’s leisure facilities and receive discounts with specialist sports and health businesses on the Island: Love Running, Cowes Chiropractic Clinic, RMA Sports Injury Clinic, Physio Care (Isle of Wight), Amanda Buggy Soft Tissue Therapy & Nutrition and Ceyreste Performance.

This year’s scheme supports 68 athletes aged between 8 and 84, with 24 of those new to the scheme for 2023.

Eight-year-old Olivia Holbrook is one of this year’s newcomers. The talented squash player from Ryde regularly travels to the mainland to compete in tournaments at a county level.

Veterans of the scheme include 84-year-old Jenny Ball from Newport who remains a formidable competitor in the pool, travelling around the country to take part in British Masters events.

She said: “I feel very proud to be part of the Talented Athlete Scheme; it is such an important scheme for the Island and I have seen first-hand how it has allowed gifted sportsmen and women to progress within their sports – with Wightlink’s support being particularly helpful given the amount of travel involved when competing at a higher level.”

Wightlink chief executive, Keith Greenfield, said: “Over the past ten years we have had the pleasure of seeing athletes on the scheme excel within their sports.

“We understand that competing at this a level demands a great deal of travel off the Island so we pleased to be able do our bit to support the Island’s most talented with discounted cross-Solent travel.

“As ever we are looking forward to following the progress of this year’s Talented Athletes and sharing their successes via our social media channels and hope to meet up with many of them in person at our Wightlink in the Community meet and greet event later this year.”

Councillor Julie Jones-Evans, Cabinet member for regeneration, business development and tourism, said: “It’s wonderful to see the successes of our talented Island young sportspeople, and I’m so pleased the council is still able to offer the Talented Athlete Scheme with support from our sponsors.

“I look forward to hearing all about the achievements of this year’s 68 participants; I’m sure they’ll do themselves and the Island proud over the next 12 months and realise their goals.”

A full list of the athletes supported via the Talented Athlete Scheme is available on our Wightlink in the Community pages.