For top Manx athlete Hannah Riley the path to further sporting success when she competes in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow seems all the more assured after the hurdles medallist secured sponsorship from OCRA (Isle of Man) Limited.
The Ramsey-based international corporate and trust services provider has presented ?300 to Hannah whose performance in the women’s 100m hurdles at this year’s NatWest Island Games in Bermuda saw the 31-year-old from Devonshire Road, Douglas, bring home a silver medal for the Isle of Man, swelling her medal collection to 19.
Hannah’s sporting success has come despite being hit by a car in 2011 only months before the Island Games in the Isle of Wight where she went on to win a gold medal. Her track record has also inspired a number of her pupils to show promise as hurdlers at Queen Elizabeth II High School where she is a PE teacher.
Of her sponsorship from OCRA she said: ‘The money will make a very real difference in the run-up to the Games next year, as it will help fund my travel expenses to compete in more off-island competitions, such as the inter-counties meeting in Bedford in late August and a track and field event in Blackpool this September. For Isle of Man athletes in particular, to be able to compete in a variety of different sporting environments is a crucial part of training for major international events, so I’m very grateful to OCRA for their generous support.’
OCRA group director Stephen Porter said: ‘In Bermuda “Team Isle of Man” performed magnificently, finishing first with 97 medals. That result, together with Manx success at the London 2012 Olympics, demonstrates the wealth of world-class sporting talent there is in the island. Hannah, like all her fellow athletes from here, is a great ambassador for the Isle of Man. We’re therefore pleased to provide this support and wish Hannah every success for Glasgow 2014.’
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