Athlete
FUNDING THE FUTURE: AMBER ANNING ON NURTURING YOUNG TALENT IN ATHLETICS
Story
Just before the Paris 2024 Olympics kicked off, I sat down with British 400m star Amber Anning and had a fascinating conversation about her athletics journey and the crucial role funding plays for young athletes when they are at their most vulnerable in the sport. Since then, Amber has broken the British 400m record and returned from Paris two Olympic Bronze medals.
Our conversation began by unravelling where Amber’s passion for athletics started - surprisingly, halfway across the globe in Australia She recalls dominating sports day at school aged five, beating all the girls in her year, as well as those in the year above Just for fun, she even raced the boys: "I won against them as well, so I feel like that was a big stepping stone for me "
group records including the under-15 300m record, held by her hero Dina Asher-Smith, and the 49-year-old under-20 indoor 400m record of Marilyn Neufville.
Despite her early achievements, it bares no surprise that Amber quickly began feeling the pressure and less innate enjoyment in training "It became more of a conscious effort to find purpose in training rather than experiencing joy as I did as a child” We discussed how young athletes, who haven't yet learned to handle this pressure, are especially vulnerable to falling out of love with the sport and this is when financial and emotional support is most critical. Granted, there will always be mental pressure, but if some of the financial pressure is alleviated, it can be vital to keeping younger athletes in the sport, particularly those aged 15-23 who are at school or university
AmberatsportsdayinAustralia,photocourtesyofMelAnnnig
At this point, her parents realised her potential and got her involved in a variety of sports Fast forward a few years and a flight back to England, Amber joined her first athletics club at the age of nine, where, like most young athletes, she tried every event. She remembers this period as freeing and fun: "I didn't know anybody and didn't have any aspirations, but I was young and doing it for the joy.” At first, Amber felt no pressure or expectation, but that soon changed as she became known as 'good ' She quickly had to embrace the art of ‘being comfortable with being uncomfortable’ in training to push beyond her natural talent a challenge she hadn’t considered before, she confessed.
Amber became a standout junior athlete as she progressed, collecting numerous national titles, earning junior GB vests, and breaking British age-
Amber was quick to acknowledge how fortunate she was to have had a strong support network that enabled her to push through this challenging stage She added:
‘There are so many of my friends or people I know who should be where I am right now, or on that trajectory But, the lack of support or funding has prohibited them from continuing which is really sad because in sport you do need the funding - it is hard to do this by yourself’
The reality is, without enough support during the key junior and university years, some of our most promising athletes may never reach their potential - we might miss out on some of our future AsherSmiths, Ennis-Hills or Annings
Talking financially, Amber credits her family, RPMF, and other charities for providing the financial support to pursue her dreams Athletics, despite assumptions, isn’t cheap. "Track is so expensive!" she voiced She added;
“From travelling to accessing physio and other therapies regularly, the funds played a massive part Even having good enough blocks that aren't run down, it’s these little things that all add up and make a difference”
Without access to these resources - the one per cents - the chance of success decreases, which is why initiatives like RPMF are so important to help bridge these gaps.
The support of RPMF grants enabled Amber to experience some of her greatest junior athletics memories One of Amber’s favourite memories as a junior was a trip to Geneva, made possible by an RPMF grant: "It was a beautiful stadium, and I really enjoyed being there because it was one of my first overseas trips on my own, rather than with a team - it was a real learning curve " It is also particularly special as she shared it with her late coach, Lloyd Cowan.
His conviction that no athlete with potential should be held back due to a lack of financial support is now at the heart of the Lloyd Cowan Bursary. Amber’s mother was one of the founding trustees of the Lloyd Cowan Bursary, set up in 2021, after his unexpected death, to continue his legacy by providing resources to help athletes who lack financial support stay in the sport This year, RPMF and the Lloyd Cowan Bursary have joined forces to boost support for young athletes and coaches By combining fundraising efforts at the TCS London Marathon and streamlining grant applications, they hope to ensure that funds reach those most in need
At 18, Amber was offered a track and field scholarship in the USA and left for Louisiana State University (LSU) the week she received her ALevel results Three years later, she transferred to the University of Arkansas, where she graduated last summer Now a professional athlete training in the USA, Amber reflected fondly on her time in Arkansas, saying it helped her rediscover her passion for the sport It is often talked about how moving to the US can make or break for an athlete but for Amber, it has allowed her to truly fall back in love with the sport; "It's honestly been a dream come true," she shared "Even though Lloyd’s not with me, I have a coach [Chris Johnson] who believes in me the same way he did, and I’m still honouring Lloyd’s name "
Prior to Paris, I asked her about the possibility of breaking the long-standing 400m British Record held by her mentor, Christine Ohuruogu Amber was confident: “Definitely I’m focused on execution and being competitive, and the fast times will come from there It will take focus and faith that I can do it, and that I’m good enough to be on this level.” Her belief was well-founded. Amber smashed the British 400m record of 49 41 seconds in the Olympic semis with a time of 49 29s, and took home two bronze medals in the mixed 4x400m and women ’ s 4x400m This is just the beginning, she hinted:
‘I’d love to be the first British woman to run a 48-second 400’
After all, Amber has already shown that her words have power
In closing, my conversation with Amber stands as a profound reminder of the delicate balance between joy and pressure that young athletes face From her early days of beating boys at sports day to her record-breaking performances at the Olympics, her story highlights the importance of support systems, both financial and emotional, in nurturing talent The impact of organisations like RPMF and mentors like Lloyd Cowan illustrates
Photo by Patrick Anthonisz
how vital it is to provide the resources athletes need to thrive, especially during the transition from junior to senior competition when they are at their most vulnerable.
With partnerships like RPMF and the Lloyd Cowan Bursary, the potential British athletes and future champions is certainly promising But, it must ensure that no promising talent is lost to the financial pressures of the sport
“I’m
focused on execution and being competitive, and the fast times will come from there It will take focus and faith that I can do it, and that I’m good enough to be on this level.”
AmberonherwaytobreakingtheBritish400mrecord,imagebyBritishAthletics
Article written by Carmen Neat with support from Ashleigh Spiliopoulou and Melanie Anning
World U20 Championships
27-31stAUGUST
LIMA,PERU
Numerous athletes of whom we awarded grants earlier this year to competed at the World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru We thought we’d cover a few highlights for you incase you had missed it…
On day one, Mable Akande proved she is just at the start of her athletic journey, finishing 9th in the world in the 100 meters In an interview with British Athletics, she expressed her disappointment at narrowly missing the final by just one spot. However, she quickly noted that this setback has ignited a strong fire within her for the relay which was in the following few days.
Sam Lunt made headlines by setting a new British U20 record in the 400mH during the semis in 50 07, previously held by 2024 Olympian Ali Chalmers. He ultimately finished 6th in the final with a time of 50.27 seconds, meaning he ran his 2 fastest times ever within a day of each other If he is to continue in the footsteps of Ali Chalmers, then Lunt has a very exciting future ahead of him Over in the sprints equivalent of the hurdles, Noah Hanson competed well in the semi-finals but was unable to make it to the final, despite showing dominance in the heats.
Ava Lloyd had a tough race in the 1500m final, finishing 5th in what she could only described as a “brutal” race In a turn to optimism, she reflected on the race as a valuable learning experience, one that will help her grow as an athlete.
Mia McIntosh looked strong in the 100mH semifinals but unfortunately fell just short of advancing to the final Similarly, Cleo Agyepong threw 13 48 meters in the women ’ s shot, which was just shy of the top 12 needed to progress into the final.
Mia spoke about how she had faced mental and physical struggles this year, so, it is very exciting to see what she will be able to produce next year, when she is in full form Cleo added on a post on Instagram that she is so grateful to end her time as a junior at such an incredible event and, upon reflection, couldn’t have ever imagined to have represented GB 4 times as a junior.
Dean Patterson helped to cap off Team GB’s achievements by contributing to a silver medal in the 4x100 meters relay, with the team finishing in 39.20 seconds.
Mabel Akande - 9th in Womens 100mn
Sam Lunt - Broke the british 400mH U20 record
Athlete feature
Keely Hodgkinson - -2024 800m Olympic Champion
Keely Hodgkinson needs no introduction after the golden, whirlwind of a season she has just had
After finishing second behind Athing Mu in Tokyo back in 2021, the desire to take gold next time around was even stronger Fast forward three years, her ticket to Paris was punched but Keely spoke of how she was ‘gutted’ that Athing Mu had fallen and failed to make to US Olympic team; ‘I want to beat people fair and square ’ she told British Athletics, a mindset that is matched by very few and undoubtably a factor behind her success
In the final, Keely crossed the finish line in 1:56 21 to claim gold While Athing Mu's absence was felt, the race remained highly competitive Hodgkinson was Great Britain’s sole gold medalist in Athletics, marking the first Olympic victory for Team GB since 2016
I am so grateful to RPMF for giving me such a great start in track. The recognition I received that I was a talented athlete that had potential was pivotal to my development as a junior athlete. Not just financially, but it also gave me the belief that I really could achieve something in this sport!
PICKERING MEMORIAL THROWS INTERNATIONAL
AfterthepassingofShaunPickeringlast year,thiseventwasheldinmemoryof himandhisdevotiontothethrowsevents andofcoursehisparentsRonandJean Pickering,whothisfundisinmemoryof.
An array of different athletes from 7 countries (and a team from Loughborough University) were in attendance bringing a vastpooloftalent
Looking powerful, Cleo Agyepong (pictured above) took charge in the women ’ s shot and dominated with a throw of 1512m, just shy of a PB and almost an entire meter further than she threw indoors Such a fine performance also landed her the muchanticipated Female Performance of the Day prize. This, and the male equivalent, were the top prizes of the day which included £500 from RPMF and a free training camp in Spain courtesy of Train in Spain. There were additional other prizes including gift vouchers from Neuff Athletics and sunglasses from Goodr.
The men ’ s equivalent prize was won by irishman Thomas Williams in the hammer after a huge 7282m throw which despite not being a PB, was still far enough to be 2nd in Europe
Athletics Ireland Athlete of the Year Finalist has had a phenomenal year so far having already got the standard for European U18 Championships which are being host by Slovakia this year. Oh, and he’s only 16!
In a kind gesture from the weather, it held off a downpour until the very last round of the very last event, the women ’ s discus. It was this event that saw Anna Gavigan from Ireland throw a PB and off 49.10m. In the men ’ s equivalent, it was won by U20 athlete, Teddy Gannon who also surprised himself with a new PB. Not too far behind was Italy’s Pietro Dal Soglio. Being a particularly poignant competition for him, he was competing in memory of Shaun as his father, Italian national throws coach Paulo Dal Soglio was one of Shaun’s great friends.
RPMF treasurer Kim Pickering, Ron and Jean’s daughter (and Shaun’s sister) explained how she, and others from the athletics world, had curated “memorial wall for Shaun and [we] took all his Olympic & Commonwealth jackets, photos, newspaper reports” to celebrate his life and achievements She later added, “it was emotional, not just for me, but also for some of his coach-friends too There were some lovely tributes too” To continue such a unique tessellation of Shaun’s legacy, the exhibition has been recreated online as part of The Athletics Museum, which can be found here
Thank you to all those who were part of this event, from sponsors to athletes to supporters, we are so pleased it all came together so successfully – an event the Pickering family would be very proud to be part of
Image by Sakura Sports Media
G
OLYMPIC
Paris 2024 Games
B’s golden girl Keely Hodgkinson lived up to the nation’s hopes to finally bring it home this summer. Winning gold in the 800m final, she finally swapped her silver in Tokyo for gold in Paris
On the same trajectory, Josh Kerr ran home with silver in the men ’ s 1500m, an upgrade from his bronze in Tokyo in a shocker of a race where Jakob Ingebrigsten didn’t even make the medals Also in a middle distance final was Laura Muir She smashed her PB in the 800m final but unfortunately wasn’t able to snag a medal in doing so. Max Burgin was also present in the men ’ s equivalent final and finished 8th in the end A tough race to say the least
Most admirably might be the story of KJT and how she finally became an Olympic medallist. After a tough relationship with Olympic Games and major championships that trickle back to her junior years, there was a light at the end of the tunnel as she produced her second-best ever performance to take silver, just shy of Belgium’s Nafi Thiam. Speaking to EuroSport she explained that she “ can't even describe the words, I'm just so relieved and so happy to add an Olympic medal to my collection," She added; “It's the only one I didn't have It's been so hard getting back to this point In the lead up to this Games, all I've been saying is I wanted to have a chance”. Also in the heptathlon was long-running RPMF recipient Jade O’Dowda who finished 10th overall in her first Olympics
When it comes to the relays, we are very proud to be able to say that the 3 out of the 4 runners who ran in the final of both men ’ s and women ’ s 4x400m relay are part of the RPMF Family The men, including Charlie Dobson, Lewis Davey and Alex Haycock Wilson set a new European record for silver whilst the women set a new British record for bronze. Hannah Kelly, a 2024 recipient, was part of the qualifying for the women ’ s 4x400m, a very impressive effort from the Olympic debutant eased them through the heats Amber Anning, previously highlighted for her athletic journey on pages 1-3, brought home two bronze medals in the mixed and women ’ s 4x400m relays She also produced the run of her lifetime in the 400m final where she came 5th And if that wasn’t enough, she also broke the British record in the semis-finals. Women’s 400m running in the UK seems to be taking very good shape! Another 2024 recipient and olympic debutant was Amy Hunt, who under the pouring rain, was part of the quartet that took silver in women ’ s 4x100 final just 0 07s behind a very strong USA team Impressively, this was also the best the women ’ s team has done in this relay since 1956. It just so happens, and we are very proud to say, that alongside Amy, this entire quartet is part of the RPMF Family; Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Daryll Neita and Dina Asher-Smith The joy it brings us to see athletes go from junior to senior, and now Olympic medallists is unmatched and reminds us why the Pickering family were so important in the athletics world The men took another relay bronze, this time in the 4x100m which featured RPMF past recipients Jeremiah Azu and Richard Kilty in the heats
Another 2024 RPMF recipient competing in Paris was flying Scotswoman Megan Keith in the 10,000m After navigating the heats with ease, Megan was faced with an ankle injury in the final. However, in Scottish style and powered through to meet her fellow Scottish teammate and RPMF past recipient Eilish MacColgan on the finish line Eilish MacColgan silenced doubters by running in her fourth Olympic 10km
RPMF at the Olympics
EILISH MCCOLGAN
BEN PATTISON
AMY HUNT
MOLLY CAUDREY
MAX BURGIN
PATRICK DEVER
GEORGE MILLS
ALEX HADDOCK-WILSON
JEMMA REEKIE
LEWIS DAVEY
JACOB FINCHAM-DUKES
JESSIE KNIGHT
HOLLY BRADSHAW
CHARLIE DOBSON
KATERINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON
BIANCA WILLIAMS
JEREMIAH AZU
DINA ASHER-SMITH
KEELY HODGKINSON
MAHAMED MOHAMED
DARYL NEITA
JAKE WHITEMAN
RICHARD KILTY
IMANI-LARA LANSIQUOT
MORGAN LAKE
LAURA MUIR
CALLUM WILKINSON
VICTORIA OHURUOGO
CHARLOTTE PURDUE
NICK PERCY
SCOTT LINCOLN
HANNAH KELLY
JADE O’DOWDA
MEGAN KEITH
JODIE WILLIAMS
AIMEE PRATT
AMBER ANNING
ALISTAIR CHALMERS
Image by British Athletics
RPMF and Lloyd Cowan Bursary Partner
to Support Young Athletes and Coaches
Two of the UK's leading athletics charities, the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund and the Lloyd Cowan Bursary, are joining forces to boost support for young athletes and coaches. Their partnership will combine fundraising efforts at the TCS London Marathon and streamline grant applications to ensure funds reach those most in need
A Shared Vision
Since their establishment - Ron Pickering Memorial Fund in 1991, and the Lloyd Cowan Bursary, in 2021, both charities have played key roles in helping young British athletes and coaches overcome challenges to progress in their sport This collaboration strengthens their shared mission, particularly at a time when financial pressures are increasing
Olympic and World 400m Champion
Christine Ohuruogu, a founding Trustee of the Lloyd Cowan Bursary established in memory of her late coach welcomes the partnership: “In 2022, we collaborated with RPMF on an art exhibition showcasing athletes' talents, including Olympic 800m Champion Keely Hodgkinson We are excited to join forces again for fundraising at the TCS London Marathon. This partnership allows us to support more athletes and coaches while preserving the independence and identity of both charities ”
Olympian Jo Jennings-Summers, Trustee of the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund, also expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration with the Lloyd Cowan Bursary: “Over the years, I’ve come to know the Pickering family well and greatly benefited from Lloyd's friendship and experience during our time together at GB Under 20
Championships. So, this partnership offers both strong emotional and key strategic benefits.”
A major feature of this partnership is the shared allocation of fundraising places at the TCS London Marathon, enabling both charities to raise essential funds Each charity is seeking 10 runners to fundraise a minimum of £2000 each If you are interested in participating, please contact the us for more information 2012 Olympian Abdul Buhari, a Trustee of the Lloyd Cowan Bursary, added:
“By aligning our grant processes, we can maximise the impact of the funds raised by our London Marathon runners, supporting as many athletes and coaches as possible”
While the two charities will work closely together, they will each retain their own governance and processes. Looking ahead, this partnership could set a precedent for other memorial funds to join, creating a lasting legacy of support for athletics
“We are truly grateful for the continued support of the TCS London Marathon, particularly for the fundraising places allocated to us each year, ” noted Jennings-Summers “These fundraisers are crucial to sustaining the development of young athletes and coaches across the UK ”
