Rising Sports Stars From Scarborough And Whitby Earn Support From Prestigious Talent Scheme

Aspiring athletes from Scarborough and Whitby have been selected to receive vital support and mentoring as part of a prestigious national sports talent development programme.

Aspiring athletes in North Yorkshire are set to gain vital support as part of a sports talent development programme that aims to nurture the next generation of sporting greats.

Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions scheme is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Since its inception, the initiative has helped more than 6,000 athletes to achieve their sporting potential by providing free access to state-of-the-art facilities at over 250 leisure sites across the country.

Local facilities involved in the scheme include Scarborough Sports Village, Whitby Leisure Centre, Ryedale Swim and Fitness Centre, Ryedale Sports Centre and Derwent Swim and Fitness Centre, providing accessible training bases for the region's top prospects.

This year, a record 1,700 athletes have been accepted onto the renowned scheme, including two local rising stars from the Yorkshire Coast who are already making waves in their respective sports.

Twenty-six-year-old swimmer Aaron Gilson, who trains at Scarborough Sports Village, has secured a place on the programme. The talented swimmer reached the final of the 200-metre breaststroke at the European Aquatics Championships last year.

He is joined on the scheme by seventeen-year-old rugby ace Sophie Knaggs. The teenager, who trains at Whitby Leisure Centre, was recently selected for the Yorkshire under-18s squad for the 2025-26 season.

Alongside free access to Everyone Active centres, the Sporting Champions will also receive valuable mentoring and guidance from an impressive panel of elite athletes. This panel comprises Olympic and Paralympic medallists, world champions and Commonwealth champions.

The scheme’s all-star line-up of top athletes includes Lauren Steadman, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Emma Finucane, Maisie Summers-Newton and Richard Kilty.

These elite athletes will share their experience and expertise through group mentoring sessions, covering topics including mental wellbeing, nutrition, managing finances, social media and media training.

The innovative, hands-on workshops are designed to equip up-and-coming athletes with the practical tools and techniques needed to be at the top of their game. In addition to these sessions, the Sporting Champions will take part in bitesize webinars developed in collaboration with national governing bodies.

New for the 2026-27 intake, athletes over the age of sixteen will receive access to the You+ membership, which is designed to promote holistic health and wellbeing and is centred around individual needs.

Over the past nine years, the Sporting Champions scheme has poured more than two million pounds into young athletes, proving a steadfast commitment to grassroots sporting excellence. The programme has a proven track record of success; at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, no fewer than twenty-six Sporting Champions competed, taking home nine gold, six silver and eight bronze medals collectively.

Olympic silver medallist and former world record holder Colin Jackson CBE will continue to fulfil the role of ambassador for the scheme, working alongside the elite athletes to make sport more accessible within local communities.

Colin Jackson CBE said:

"I am incredibly passionate about nurturing young talent and the Sporting Champions scheme goes above and beyond in this mission. With the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow just months away, I am more excited than ever to support athletes of all ages and from all disciplines to achieve their dreams.

My role is to pass my knowledge, experience and expertise on to the next generation of super-talented athletes. Seeing these future champions flourish throughout each year as they gain confidence fuels my excitement for what's to come."

The leisure provider works in partnership with North Yorkshire Council to deliver these services to the community.

Peter Smith, Everyone Active’s contract manager, said:

"We are delighted to be providing exceptional support to this year’s cohort who have been accepted on Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions scheme.

The profound impact Sporting Champions has on emerging talent from North Yorkshire each year is always amazing to see, and we are excited to be supporting more athletes than ever on their journey to sporting success.

As a leisure provider working in partnership with North Yorkshire Council, we feel it is important to cater for all sections of the community. We hope to continue making a real difference to our athletes’ success and are excited to see what success stories the scheme will bring this year."