SMP Partners has agreed to continue its support for the Commonwealth Games Association’s Team Champions initiative.

The leading corporate services provider based in Douglas is one of the foremost supporters of sport in the Island having been Team Champions in the run up to the Glasgow games in 2014, as well as a chief sponsor of both the Sporting Excellence Programme and the Isle of Man Sports Aid Academy.

Team Champions are given the opportunity to partner with the Commonwealth Games Association as it raises money to send teams to Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games. The next events are in Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018 and Bahamas in 2017 respectively.

The ongoing support was confirmed on Thursday when Mark Denton, Managing Director at SMP Partners, met swimmers Charlotte Atkinson and Laura Kinley. Both Laura and Charlotte recently competed at the British Summer Championships held in Sheffield and are expected to be selected for the 2018 Commonwealth Games as part of an eight-person team (four male and four female) having already achieved the consideration times for their respective events.

Mr Denton commented: ‘We’re delighted to renew our relationship with the Commonwealth Games Association and its Team Champions initiative, which extends our support for Isle of Man athletes who benefitted from the Sporting Excellence Programme and Isle of Man Sports Aid Academy. It’s recently been confirmed that the Academy will continue into a second year, providing vital skills and knowledge for athletes vying for selection for the Youth Games in 2017 and the Commonwealth Games in 2018.’

Laura and Charlotte attend Loughborough University and follow training programmes, set by their coaches, which involve up to nine sessions in the pool and two in the gym every week. Their training builds up before major events, such as the World Championship Trials in April and the British Summer Championships in July, and tapers down a couple of weeks before those events start.

Laura, who competes in the 50m and 100m breaststroke, said: ‘We get great support from the Sports Aid programme when we’re back in the Isle of Man, such as physiotherapy, psychology and nutritional advice, which our team mates from Loughborough don’t have access to. Laura said: ‘We regularly compete for Loughborough but representing the Isle of Man is definitely special and I really hope to be selected to be part of the team at the Gold Coast.’

Charlotte, who races in the 100m and 200m butterfly, continued: ‘I have really enjoyed being part of Team Isle of Man at both the Commonwealth Games and the Island Games and the amazing feeling of having your name and lane number called out in the arena as “representing the Isle of Man”.’

For more information about become a Team Champion, contact Juliet Holt: juliet.cgaiom@gmail.com 

Image: (left to right) Swimmer, Charlotte Atkinson; SMP Partners Managing Director, Mark Denton; Commonwealth Games Association Vice President, Basil Bielich; Swimmer, Laura Kinley.

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