Professional athletes' funding boost for Doncaster Olympics prospect Beth Dobbin, who is holding down four jobs

She has been holding four jobs to pursue her Olympic dream.
Beth Dobbin, British 200m champion, pictured taking part in a Doncaster Free Press round table discussion on funding in women's sport at The DomeBeth Dobbin, British 200m champion, pictured taking part in a Doncaster Free Press round table discussion on funding in women's sport at The Dome
Beth Dobbin, British 200m champion, pictured taking part in a Doncaster Free Press round table discussion on funding in women's sport at The Dome

 

But now Beth Dobbin has finally been handed elite athlete lottery funding, which will allow her to switch from working full time to part time, to allow her to better combine work with training.

Beth Dobbin, British 200m champion, pictured taking part in a Doncaster Free Press round table discussion on funding in women's sport at The DomeBeth Dobbin, British 200m champion, pictured taking part in a Doncaster Free Press round table discussion on funding in women's sport at The Dome
Beth Dobbin, British 200m champion, pictured taking part in a Doncaster Free Press round table discussion on funding in women's sport at The Dome

Beth has been added to British Athletics' World Class Programme for the 2018-19 season.

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The British 200m champion aged, 24, will be funded as part of the Olympic relay squad.

Beth, a former pupil at Copley Junior School, Ridgewood School and Danum School, has been working up to seven shifts a week with two receptionist jobs, performing school visits, and inputting data.

The Free Press revealed how Beth was having to balance her athletics with full time work in July.

Into her packed schedule she has packed the training which has enabled her to become British champion.

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Problems getting time off meant she was unable to take part in a Diamond League meeting this year at the Olympic Stadium in London.

But the new funding, announced yesterday, means she will now be able to go part time.

If will also mean she can have free access experts such as physiotherapists and sports psychologists, which she has previously had to pay for out of her own pocket.

It comes on top of a planned sponsorship deal with Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust which will give her free gym access.

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Beth said: 'I'm absolutely ecstatic. Any help I can get is amazing, not only the support financially, but the facilities that I will now have around me.

'But is is also the belief in me, the belief that I can do well, that this shows. It is a reward for a successful season, and now it feels that I'm not just doing this for myself, but for others as well.

'It will help me get time off to compete too. For instance, I need two weeks off next year for the world relay championships in Tokyo, which is a sort of taster for the 2020 Olympics. There will be a training camp around that.

'This year I nearly missed a World Cup event in the Olympic stadium because of getting time off, and I did miss a Diamond League there for that reason.'

The funding is for her to run as part of the Olympic relay squad, and she is looking to run the 4x400m event.

The funding she receives is the first step and could increase if she performs well. Â