Dorset swimming coach set to make a splash in Australia

Lee Rowberry, SkillsActive - 01/06/09

Rachel – who is the head coach at the recently launched Young Athletes Training Academy (YATA) in Poole – beat out 57 applicants from around the country to receive one of five SkillsActive and Nancy Ovens bursaries, awarded annually to paid and un-paid individuals working within the sport, fitness, playwork, outdoors and caravan sectors. The bursaries are designed to help individuals improve their skills through an innovative training programme outside the scope of regular training.

In line with the bursary guidelines, Rachel has created her own training experience to meet her learning and development needs and has made contact with Swimming Australia which has agreed to support her. She plans to meet and work alongside Michael Bohl, coach to triple Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Stephanie Rice and Stephanie herself to discuss her success at Beijing. She has also been in contact with the Australian Institute of Sport in the hope that it too will be able to provide guidance on how she can make the most of her overseas experience.

Rachel says: “As a coach, I am consistently working with young athletes and am disappointed with the limited education for young athletes and their parents around sports performance, training and nutrition. Many of these children are young and incredibly dedicated to their sport and would develop further if there was improved education and information available for them.

“With swimming in mind, I am keen to understand how and why other countries consistently produce world class athletes. Although we in Britain do very well and are improving our facilities and schemes everyday, I am intrigued to find out what procedures and support structures are in place for young athletes in a country like Australia. Hopefully the knowledge I bring back will really make a difference to young athletes, not only in Dorset, but in other areas of Britain as well.”

The British Surfing Association (BSA) has also offered financial support to Rachel, but she will need additional funding if she is to get to Australia in August. In her work for the BSA, Rachel plans to visit Surfing Queensland to learn about their surf coaching and education programmes.

“I feel very fortunate to have received a SkillsActive and Nancy Ovens bursary, as well as support from the BSA, and hope that I can raise enough additional funds to be able to fulfil my goal,” Rachel says.

SkillsActive – the Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure and Learning – and the Nancy Ovens Trust developed the SkillsActive and Nancy Ovens bursary in 2006 to enable individuals to take advantage of the wealth of potential learning opportunities within the active leisure and learning sector – both in the UK and abroad.

SkillsActive group chief executive Stephen Studd says: “SkillsActive is committed to improving the skills of individuals working in our sector, so is delighted to be able to offer a personal development bursary in partnership with the Nancy Ovens Trust.

“We hope that with our support and the backing of her local community, Rachel will be able to go out to Australia and bring back new and improved skills which she can implement and use within her current role or future roles in the sector.”

For media enquiries, or for more information on Rachel Light, please contact Lee Rowberry from SkillsActive’s media team on: 020 7632 2025 or email lee.rowberry@skillsActive.com. For more information on the SkillsActive and Nancy Ovens Bursary, please contact Miriam Farley on: 020 7632 2918 or email Miriam.farley@SkillsActive.com.