Australia’s ‘health guru’
19
returns to North PAGE Uist p15 What’s On in the Hebrides this month p11, 12
May 2015
island news Edition 35
EE FR
LET’S GET BEHIND OUR ATHLETES It’s going to cost an eye-watering minimum of £100,000 for the Outer Hebrides squad (even more for those in Orkney and Shetland) to compete in the World Island Games in Jersey next month.
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Runner Paul Morrison was a Queen’s Relay baton bearer last year.
The Western Isles have around 100 athletes and coaches training hard to compete in various disciplines during the week of Saturday June 27- Friday July 3. Each participant must find £750 towards their expenses- not to mention the costs of mainland competitions which have to be undertaken for months beforehand. The burden on families and individuals is tough. Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) recently pledged their support, becoming title sponsors for the Western Isles Games Association for the next three years. Nonetheless there’s still a massive amount of cash still to find. Over the next few weeks you’ll spot fund-raising events around the islands to raise cash for what will be the experience of a lifetime for many young island athletes. Runners like Paul Morrison, 16, of Benbecula, currently 4th in Scotland and 11th in the UK in the 800m. And South Uist’s Kerry MacPhee who worked at three jobs to fund her gruelling trajectory to last year’s Commonwealth Games. Let’s stump up and support all the talent, dedication and commitment of our sportsmen and women. They’re our ambassadors after all.
Kerry MacPhee competing in Belgium. © Danny Zelck