Isle of Man Sportsman of the Year Tim Kneale, who makes his Olympic debut in Rio in August, will join fellow top athletes to address the fourth workshop of the Isle of Man Sport Aid Academy.

As work to prepare the next generation of leading Manx sportspeople continues, the Team GB shooter will appear alongside cyclist Marie Morgan, who represented Great Britain twice at the Olympics, and Maurice Herriott, who won a silver medal in the 3,000 metre steeplechase at the 1964 Olympics.

Also taking part will be cyclists Christian Varley and Andrew Roche, athlete Keith Gerrard and Isle of Man Golf Champion Tom Harris, who has been playing and studying in the United States in recent years.

The Sport Aid Academy, which is funded by SMP Partners and Newfield in partnership with Isle of Man Sport, was launched last year to deliver a programme of education and training to enhance the skills needed to shine on the world stage. Athletes aged between 13 and 17 from 12 different sports are being given the support and knowledge needed to work towards becoming high performance athletes in the future.

The next workshop, at Bemahague School on 15th July, is the last of the first year of the Academy. It will focus on ‘respect’, building on the themes of the previous workshops; ‘commitment to excellence’, ‘resilience, determination and persistence’, and ‘discipline and self-regulation’.

Around 40 of the Island’s most promising young athletes will attend the workshop, which will include the guest sport stars speaking about their careers and answering questions. As with previous workshops, coaches and parents will be actively involved in the evening’s sessions.

Isle of Man Sport Aid Sports Performance Co-ordinator Chris Quine said: ‘The fourth workshop marks the culmination of year one of the Sport Aid Academy, and we are delighted to have some of the Island’s most successful sportspeople attending to help the up-and-coming athletes understand more about what performing at the highest level means.

‘The Academy was launched with an ambitious plan to help those involved in sport who were just below the age to be considered for Isle of Man Sport Aid support gain a greater understanding of what is involved in performing to your best.

‘Through the delivery of a carefully planned series of workshops, we have taught the young athletes lessons which will help them in their chosen sport, as well as equip them for the future whatever that may be. Commitment, resilience, discipline and respect are skills which will prove invaluable in any walk of life.

‘We have been delighted to witness the active engagement from the athletes, who have seen the opportunity the Academy presents and grasped it with both hands. At the final workshop of year one they will be able to draw on the knowledge gained to ask searching questions of our guest speakers and see how the lessons they have learned have been applied by those who have competed on the world stage with considerable success.’

He added: ‘We are indebted to SMP Partners and Newfield for support the Isle of Man Sport Aid Academy, and the important role both have played in laying strong foundations for the future of Manx sport.’

Mark Denton, Managing Director of leading independent trust and corporate services provider SMP Partners, said: ‘The Sport Aid Academy was an ambitious project to offer a large group of the Island’s young people the opportunity to learn lessons which would not only help them in their chosen sport, but would also equip them with skills for life. While attending workshops I have been deeply impressed by the eagerness among the young athletes, as well as parents and coaches, to make the most of this opportunity and really take the messages to heart. The qualities they are being inspired to understand, such as dedication, excellence, persistence and respect, mirror SMP Partners’ own values and will help prepare these young people for their futures, whether that is within sport or any other career.’

Newfield Director Mark Reynolds added: ‘There is no doubt the Sport Aid Academy has been a hugely positive experience for all the participants. You only have to see how engaged the young athletes are at each workshop to understand how eager they are to take advantage of this great opportunity, and as the year has progressed the development of the participants has been clear. Newfield wanted to support an initiative which would deliver real benefits for the Island’s young people, and the Academy has achieved this aim. Not only have the participants developed skills which will serve them well in their sport, but will also prove a great resource whatever career they pursue in the future.’

Photo - Tim Kneale will speak at the next Isle of Man Sport Aid Academy workshop.