25.02.2008
Rhona Martin, the gold medal-winning Olympic curler will appear before the Scottish Parliament’s Health and Sport Committee on Wednesday to give evidence as part of its Pathways into Sport Inquiry.
Ms Martin will be the first of a number of successful Scottish sportspeople to discuss with the Committee their personal experience of becoming involved in sport.
The inquiry aims to consider strategies by which individuals are supported to fulfil their sporting potential at whichever level that might be. The Committee also seeks to consider ways of providing integrated approaches to sporting success and issues which might limit individuals participation and development.
The Committee Convener, Christine Grahame MSP said:
“In the course of this inquiry the Committee will look at how both participation in sport and sporting excellence can best be supported.
“I am delighted that Rhona Martin has agreed to appear before the Committee to offer an insight on these matters based on her own experiences. In 2002 she skippered the curling team to become the first British gold medallists at the Winter Olympics since 1984. We want to hear what helped and hindered her road to major competitive success and what lessons can be learned for government and sports policy.”
The Committee looks forward to hearing from a wide range of sporting greats including Liz McColgan, World Champion, Commonwealth and Olympic medalist, who is scheduled to give evidence on 26 March.
Key questions to be considered by the Committee are:
- To what extent is progress being made in developing sport pathways?
- What are the key barriers to achieving sport pathways?
- Is there best practice elsewhere which would improve pathways?
Background
The Health and Sport Committee’s inquiry is structured in two phases:
Phase One - During the first stage the Committee will hear from a number of Scottish sporting figures who have achieved success in their chosen fields.
Phase Two – The second phase will look more systematically at: the extent to which progress is being made in developing sports pathways; the key barriers to improving both participation rate and sporting success and best practice examples from within and outwith Scotland.