Local rhythmic gymnast Louise Christie, was awarded a £500 grant from the Chris Anderson Fund earlier this year and is already beginning to see the benefits of her funding.

The Chris Anderson Fund, established in 1988, is administered by the Active Aberdeen Partnership (AAP) and exists to assist the development of talent in young people aged 8 to 18 who live in the Grampian Region.

The 18 year old first began rhythmic gymnastics at the age of five and has since trained at Sport Aberdeen’s Beacon Sports Centre.

Louise’s successful grant application has allowed her to fund a trip to compete in Bulgaria where she finished 4th overall. It also enabled her to attend a 7 day training camp in Norway where she was coached by retired Olympic rhythmic gymnasts and also pay for essential physiotherapy sessions to help with her overloaded calf muscles.

On top of this, Louise finished 3rd and 6th at the British Individuals tournament, 2nd overall at the National Grades finals in Stoke and defended her title as Scottish Senior Champion for the 2nd year in a row.

Speaking about the funding, Louise said:

“The grant has benefited me by supporting the opportunities that have arisen over the recent months.

“It enabled me to subsidise my costs to Bulgaria and Norway for a training camp that was an amazing experience. With the sport being self-funded there is a high cost to being successful.

“More competitions bring greater experience and with extra funding I can take another step nearer my goals.”

Keith Gerrard, Sport Aberdeen’s Director of Healthy and Active Communities, commented:

“The Active Aberdeen Partnership recognises that participation in sport and physical activity is driven by a whole host of talented individuals and groups. Louise’s achievements prior to and following receiving this grant are evidence of the hard work and determination to succeed that is key when selecting who receives this support.”