News Release - Monday 4 July 2005
ALISON SHEPPARD TO OPEN NATWEST ISLAND GAMES SWIMMING
Scotland's record breaking swimmer Alison Sheppard - Commonwealth gold medallist and five-time Olympian will visit Shetland on Monday 11 July
2005 to open the swimming event of the NatWest Island Games and present medals to the winners of the opening day's competition.
Swimming is one of 15 sports being staged at the NatWest Island Games, a biennial international multi-sport event. The event is larger in scale than the Winter Olympics and will see 2,000 athletes, from 24 island communities throughout the world competing in a unique week long festival of sport from
9 to 15 July 2005.
In 1988, Alison Sheppard, one of Scotland's most successful swimmers, made her Olympic debut in Seoul, Korea. In 2004, she became the first swimmer in history to compete in five Olympics. However, it was not until Sheppard won silver in the 50m freestyle in a time of 25.92 at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur that she made an international impact. In the following year, Sheppard took Bronze in the European Championships 50m Freestyle and World Short Course Championships 50m Freestyle.
Sheppard's visit is part of a support and advice package on behalf of Scottish Swimming, the national governing body for swimming in Scotland.
The Scottish Swimming support is critical for achieving an effective delivery of the swimming competition within the Games programme.
Sheila Manson and Mandy Henderson, Sport Co-ordinators for the swimming event at the NatWest Island Games, said 'We have enjoyed and appreciated the continued support of Scottish Swimming and are delighted and honoured to have Alison in Shetland to open the swimming event of the NatWest Island Games'.
Scottish Swimming President, Tom Tracey, added 'We are delighted to support the NatWest Island Games in the effective delivery of the swimming programme. The Games are a great opportunity for the participants to experience the unique atmosphere of multi-sport events. It will also raise the profile of swimming in Scotland across the world.'
Scottish Swimming has worked closely with the swimming event organisers over the past two years. Their assistance has included the provision of accessible training courses for officials, advice on effective timing and result management systems, event co-ordination and marketing and promotional back up.
The main thrust of the campaign began in 2004 when a delegation from Scottish Swimming, including President Tom Tracey, Board Director Sandy Brunton and President of Scottish Swimming's North District David Downie, visited Shetland.
Later that year, one of the Swim Coordinators, visited the Speedo Scottish Open and Age Group Championships, the biggest event in the domestic swimming calendar with around 1000 swimmers to gain further experience and information on large scale swimming competitions.
The national swimming technical official committee joined forces with their equivalent in the North District to ensure that the event was given the full support of the technical officials by running a number of training courses.
One of the traditions of the NatWest island Games is for competitors to swap pin badges with other island athletes and Scottish Swimming have supplied Scottish Swimming badges to be given to every swimmer as a memento of their participation in the NatWest Island Games 2005.
ENDS
Editor's Notes
The NatWest Island Games XI, Shetland 2005, 9 - 15 July. Shetland is the first Scottish member island to host the games; and with a population of approximately 23,000 it is the smallest island population ever to host this large-scale event.
NatWest Island Games XI, Shetland 2005: http://www.shetland2005.info/ NatWest Island Games XI, Shetland 2005, event results website http//www.shetlandresults2005.com NatWest Island Games and the IGA: http://www.Islandgames.net/
The 24 member islands of the International Island Games Association are:
Aland, Alderney, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Froya, Gibraltar, Gotland, Greenland, Guernsey, Hitra, Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Jersey, Orkney, Prince Edward Island, Rhodes, Saaremaa, Sark, Shetland, St. Helena, Western Isles, Ynys Mon.
Sports for the NatWest Island Games XI, Shetland 2005: 15 different team and individual sports have been chosen from a list of 18 set down by the IGA:
Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Bowls, Cycling, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Sailboarding, Sailing, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis and Volleyball.
Shetland
The Shetland Islands are situated 200 miles North of Aberdeen and 225 miles West of Bergen. Made up of a diverse group of over 100 islands, bordered by jagged cliffs and bleached white beaches, Shetland is ruled by water. The mainland of Shetland is approximately 70 miles in length and 35 miles wide, with a population of around 23,000. http://www.visitshetland.com
Funding Partners
Shetland Islands Council, Shetland Charitable Trust, EventScotland and sportscotland
Sponsors and Supporters
NatWest is the official sponsor to the IGA and the NatWest Island Games. The NatWest Island Games XI, Shetland 2005, is the fourth Games that NatWest has sponsored.
A large number of Shetland businesses are also supporting the games.
http://www.shetland2005.info/
Alison Sheppard Further information
Born on the 5th of November 1972, Alison Sheppard grew up in Glasgow and eight years later began swimming with Milngavie and Bearsden Swimming Club.
The proudest moment for Alison may well be getting married to Gary in Scotland in October 1999. They met at the Commonwealth Games in 1994.
Since retiring from swimming, Alison has completed a course to become a personal trainer, although this is gym focused rather than swimming
Alison's husband is Gary Vandermeulen, who was also her coach in the latter years of her career. Gary is the swimming coach for the Tayside and Fife Institute of Sport.
Scottish Swimming Further Information
Scottish Swimming is the national governing body for swimming and its related disciplines in Scotland.
Our vision is to ensure that every single person in Scotland has access to quality swimming programmes, regardless of age or ability.
Based at the multi-million pound National Swimming Academy in Stirling, Scottish Swimming represents the interests of over 160 affiliated clubs and over 16,500 members.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Paddy Cuthbert - Podge Publicity :
17 - 23 Calton Road, Edinburgh EH8 8DL
T: 0131 477 2037 / F: 0131 558 3904 / M: 07968 699 636
E: paddy@podge.co.uk / W: www.podge.co.uk