Young sailors awarded funding by Mary Peters Trust

Five young sailors have been given a unique chance to boost their training and skills after they were awarded funding from the Mary Peters Trust.

Lauren McDowell from Dundonald, Dan McGaughey from Newtownards, Erin Mclwaine from Newcastle, Dan Palmer from Bangor and Tom Coulter from Ballymena, are the worthy recipients of the awards. They are among 70 young competitors from 20 sports to receive the funding.

Lady Mary, who won pentathlon gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics, founded her Trust soon afterwards to aid the development of young, home grown, sporting talent, and in the intervening years has aided many thousands to achieve their sporting goals.

Commenting on the funding awards, Lady Mary said: "Our awards are made to support and accelerate sporting careers. The Trust recognises how difficult it has been to train and compete during the pandemic and we are delighted to continue their funding in order to provide financial assistance.

"For over four decades the Trust has supported our young athletes and they are fantastic ambassadors for our country. I am proud of the all those receiving this latest round of funding for their dedication to continue in their sport during difficult times."

RYA Northern Ireland's Performance Manager, Andrew Baker, commented: "At RYA Northern Ireland, we are very proud of our talented athletes. Funding is always a key issue for aspiring athletes and it is fantastic that the Mary Peters Trust have invested in our young sailors. This funding will make a big difference and will allow our sailors to develop their skills and continue with their training and competitions."