Which Inverness athletes have been selected to receive funding to help their sporting careers?

TWELVE athletes from across the Highlands have been selected to receive funding as part of the Highland Athlete Travel Award Scheme.

The national scheme – which was set up in 2020 – is designed to help performance level athletes living within the Highland area who face considerable travel costs for training and competitions, often out with the region.

As well as financial assistance to help with travel expenses, athletes get access to highlife facilities across the region to support them to progress in their sport.

Among the 12 who have been called up to the squad include five athletes from Inverness and one from Nairn.

They include golfer Summer Elliott from Inverness, who has just made history by becoming the first woman to win the Nairnshire County Championships.

She has been selected to represent Scotland nine times now and is looking to compete at the Women’s Amateur Championships in Nairn in 2025.

Rower Heather Gordon from Inverness has also been selected for funding.

Fresh from winning gold at the World Beach Sprint Championships in Italy, the Inverness Rowing Club member is aiming for Olympic selection for 2028.

Mountain bike rider Olivia Poole from Inverness has also been selected.

The teenager, who has won numerous Scottish and British titles in her career, finished in fourth place at the European Youth Mountain Bike Championships in Sweden.

Highland Bears basketball player Grace Alexander has also been selected. She has represented Scotland in basketball at various age groups.

Inverness Harriers athlete Murray Taylor and judo athlete Lucy Daly from Inverness have also been selected for funding.

Zach Paton from Nairn – who has represented Scotland on multiple occasions at squash and recently came 18th out of 71 boys across Europe – is also being supported by the travel fund.

Forbes Dunlop, Chief Executive of sportscotland, said: “Congratulations to all the athletes who have been selected for this latest round of ATAS funding.

“At sportscotland we recognise the difficulties faced by athletes in rural communities in accessing the best possible training and competition. ATAS is a key programme in helping to support athletes with those specific challenges. We look forward to working with High Life Highland to support more athletes.”

Athletes who have received funding.

Andrew Baird - Athletics - Fortrose

Craig McLachlan - Surfing - Caithness

Emily Rothney - Snowboarding - Badenoch and Strathspey,

Grace Alexander - Basketball - Inverness,

Heather Gordon - Rowing -Inverness

Lachlan Thomas - Athletics - Invergordon.

Lucy Daly - Judo - Inverness

Murray Taylor - Athletics -Inverness

Olivia Poole - Cycling - Inverness,

Ross Gollan - Athletics - Edderton

Summer Elliott - Golf - Inverness

Zack Paton - Squash - Nairn

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