An island company has dived in with important backing for a new scheme run by the island’s swimming association.

Utmost Wealth Solutions, based in Walpole Avenue, Douglas, had already taken the plunge with continuing support for the association.

Now it is sponsoring the group’s new Fast Track Talent ID Pathway Programme.

Utmost’s chief executive Mike Foy, said: ’I am delighted we are able to support the association’s new Fast Track Pathway.’ Mr Foy, who won the business person of the year accolade at the last Awards for Excellence, added: ’There is a huge amount of swimming talent already in the island and this Pathway will accelerate their development to an even higher standard. We are proud to be associated with such talented athletes.’

After an amazing year for the Association, with records broken recently in Blackpool and Macclesfield along with the success at the Gold Coast, Australia, Commonwealth Games, this exciting development programme is expected to help future athletes improve even further.

The Fast Track Talent ID Pathway will take the best, and most potentially talented, swimmers from the island and provide them with the opportunity to train at world class training facilities as well as meet new coaches and peers from the Pathway.

The Pathway will be run in the form of workshops and will consist of training sessions in 50 metre pools, land training and gym work, with team bonding and educational sessions with other elite coaches also included in the programme.

The association is hoping to run two to four workshops in the first year. In addition to the development of the athletes, the programme will also aid in the development of assistant coaches who work under head coach Lee Holland, many of whom have not had the opportunity to work within the UK programmes.

Lee Holland said: ’We have become very good at supporting athletes who are at the top of our sport with IoM Sport’s support, however there is a gap in developing the younger swimmers and helping them reach these levels. This support from Utmost makes so much more possible and will help develop both athletes and coaches in the island.

’This is a game changer in our sport’s structure and will benefit so many. We (IOMSA) are very lucky to have the continuing support of Utmost Wealth Solutions.’

The first visit for the Fast Track athletes was last Saturday [January 12] at the Manchester Aquatics Centre, working with Olympic and Paralympic coach Mark Rose and some of Britain’s best athletes in their age groups.