This latest group of athletes includes established stars such as Kirsty Gilmour, who will be competing in her third Olympic Games at Paris 2024, Para-swimmer Scott Quin, and U-23 European 5000m champion Megan Keith, who will be making her Olympic debut this summer. 

The awards are a small part of the support the athletes receive as they prepare to compete on the biggest stage. They also benefit from expert services provided by the sportscotland Institute of Sport, including nutrition, physical preparation, physiotherapy, sports psychology, coaching and much more. 

This latest round of funding means that the SAPA Programme has awarded over £2 million (€2,38 million) of National Lottery funding to athletes since its inception for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In that time, £2,053,209 (€2.443.524) has been shared by 300 elite athletes and coaches looking to make their mark at the Summer or Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as the Commonwealth Games. 

Craig Burn, Director of Sport at sportscotland, said, "Our aim at the sportscotland Institute of Sport has always been to find ways to support Scotland's athletes so that they can focus on their training and competition, and SAPAs are a key part of this strategy. This financial contribution is, of course, only part of the support package." 

"The wide range of specialist services provided by the sportscotland Institute of Sport is key to helping athletes perform at their best, as is the continued support of their clubs, coaches and governing bodies, and not forgetting their families. We are proud to play our part in what is a team effort to ensure Scotland's athletes are ready to compete with the best on the world stage," he added. 

Inverness runner Megan Keith has had an incredible year. In January, she set a European U23 record in 10km in Valencia with a time of 31:22, the third fastest ever by a Scottish athlete - only Liz and her daughter Eilish McColgan have run faster. The University of Edinburgh student went on to win bronze in the 10,000m at the European Championships in Rome. 

The 22-year-old said, "The support of the sportscotland Athlete Personal Award (SAPA) has been incredibly valuable in my preparations for Paris 2024. As an athlete you have to juggle a lot of things, especially while I'm at university. Having this extra help with things like travel costs and equipment is a massive help and allows me to focus fully on training and competing." 

The additional funding allows athletes to reduce their working hours so that they can rest and recover properly after training and competition. It is about making their lives easier so that they can concentrate on their sport. Scotland's sports governing bodies nominate athletes who they believe could benefit from additional financial support to help them qualify for the Games or increase their chances of winning a medal.

List of athletes receiving a SAPA: 

-Carys McAulay (Athletics). 

-Neil Gourley (Athletics). 

-Alyson Bell (Athletics). 

-Zoey Clark (Athletics). 

-Megan Keith (Athletics). 

-Kirsty Gilmour (Badminton). 

-Kirsten Taylor (Para-Judo). 

-Scott Quin (Para-Swimming).