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Mark Cavendish to fund sports scholarships on Isle of Man

World champ aims to help budding athletes who are "literally in the same boat" he was in as a teenager...

World road race champion Mark Cavendish has made what has been described as a ‘substantial’ personal donation to fund three sports scholarships for budding sportsmen and women on his native Isle of Man over the next two years, and is also supporting a programme designed at developing young cycling talent on the island.

The surprise announcement regarding the scholarships was made at the Isle of Man Sports Awards on Thursday, where Cavendish was named sportsman of the year. The sportswoman of the year award went to Aalin George, recently named Great Britain Junior Archer of the Year.

Isleofman.com reports that the initial recipients of the scholarships will be cyclist Chris Nicholson and swimmers Charlotte Atkinson and Laura Kinley.

The Team Sky rider will also be supporting a programme called Cavendish Isle of Man Racing, which has been set up by Isle of Man Cycling to enable young riders to participate in British Cycling Regional School of Racing training camps.

Cavendish, who himself benefited from the backing of Isle of Man Sports Aid between 2000 and 2005, told the audience at the Villa Marina: “This Island produces so many great sportspeople across all sports but you can’t show it when you live on an island, you need to get away and I was able to do that due to the help from Sports Aid Foundation.”

In his autobiography Boy Racer, Cavendish relates how as a teenager he would regularly take the ferry across to the mainland as a teenager to compete in races and training sessions, and he recalled those trips as he unveiled the scholarships.

Referring to that funding from the Sports Aid Foundation, he said: “It was a great help to me going away each weekend on the Steam Packet but even with their support sometimes needed more. I’m now in a position where I can help people who are literally in the same boat that I was a few years ago.”

Gary Corkhill, Chairman of Isle of Man Sport Aid, added: “We are thrilled that Mark has made this very generous offer and he can be sure that it will be making a difference to some of our up and coming sporting talent.

‘We were pleased to assist Mark in the early part of his career and it is marvellous that he is now in a position to offer us help in return.

“What could be more motivational for any young sportsperson, particularly a cyclist, than to be supported by a sporting superstar?”

http://www.isleofman.com/News/article.aspx?article=44482

Cavendish is currently taking a break from racing, with his girlfriend Peta Todd  due to give birth to their daughter in the coming days.
 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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WolfieSmith | 11 years ago
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Typical Cav. Instead of using your name to get sponsors to reach in their pockets - you keep it to yourself and reach in your own pockets. I would imagine he hasn't much regard or patience for sponsors input. Good for him!

Perhaps Rooney will give up a new Bentley sport to help a couple of kids from Everton Valley get on? I'm not holding my breath though.  4

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phax71 | 11 years ago
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Fair Play to Cav.

Nice to see someone of such a young age giving something back.

If you're watching Multi milionaires in the shambles Govt, THIS IS WHAT THE BIG SOCIETY LOOKS LIKE ....

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Spangly Shiny | 11 years ago
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Well done MC, I just wish that more people at the top of their respective sports would show the same commitment to those that follow in their footsteps/wheeltracks/wakes/landing pits etc.

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