The Dave Aitchison SportsAid Fund was set up to assist talented young triathletes in the Triathlon London & SE regions to succeed in the sport. Athletes who receive funding must be identified and nominated by the British Triathlon Federation, based on their talent and sporting results. Applicants must be:

• aged between 12 and 30 years old;
• a member of the Triathlon London or SE region IRC squads, Triathlon London Academy, South East Region Academy, Triathlon England talent squad or GB Age Group team; and
• live and train in the Triathlon London or SE regions.

Successful applicants will typically receive grants of up to £1,000 per year which can be used towards coaching, equipment or competition travel costs.

The fund was set up in memory of Dave Aitchison, a rising star in British Triathlon, who died suddenly in January 2007, aged 29, from an undetected heart condition (arrhythmogenic ventricular cardiomyopathy). Dave was a strong cross country runner as a schoolboy and developed a passion for cycling as a mountain biker at University before moving into triathlons where he really excelled. As part of the Herbalife Triathlon Academy coached by Bill Black, in his first year of competition Dave won the Age Group race at both London Triathlon and London Duathlon before taking Bronze at the World Age Group Championships in Lausanne and being named British Triathlon's Age Group Triathlete of the Year 2006.

Dave's triathlon club, London-based Ful-On Tri Club, organise an annual cyclosportive - The Surrey Legs of Steel: Dave Aitchison Challenge Ride from Boxhill, taking in the thigh-burning Surrey Hills where Dave did so much of his training, earning himself the "Legs of Steel" title. All profits from the event go direct to the fund, and it is the main fund-raising event for the Dave Aitchison Fund.

If you meet the above selection criteria and would like to be considered for funding, please fill in the DAF Application Form, and return it to James Beckinsale, the Triathlon London Talent Coach, as detailed at the bottom of the form. Applications are typically submitted to British Triathlon by October each year for consideration for the next year's funding.

Eighteen triathletes are receiving Dave Aitchison SportsAid funding in 2010. Regular athlete updates from SportsAid will be posted in Updates panel on the right.

James Allan, Crystal Palace Triathletes, age 15 (Youth), East Dulwich, London

Armanni Antoine-Chagar, Walthamstow Tritons, age 15 (Youth), Waltham Forest, London

Rory Atkins, age 15 (Youth), Twickenham, Middlesex

Dan Barraclough, Amersham Tristars, age 15 (Youth), Chesham Bois, Bucks

Lucy Chittenden, Farnham Tri Club, age 19 (Junior / Adult under 23), Fleet, Hampshire

Katie Coad, age 13 (Tristar 3), Orpington

James Davis, RG Active Junior Race Team, age 17 (Junior), Upminster, London

Sky Draper, Hillingdon Triathletes, age 14 (Tristar 3), Northwood, Middlesex

Bradley Hales, Optima Racing Team, age 20 (Adult under 23), Staines, Middlesex

Alice Hall, Amersham Tristars, age 12 (Tristar 2), Amersham

Lewis Hawkins, Jetstream Tri, age 13 (Tristar 3), Northwood

Rebecca Hewitt, Swim for Tri, age 17 (Junior), Woodford Green

Emily McLoughlin, Crawley Tri Club, age 17 (Youth), East Grinstead, West Sussex

Luke Penney, Thames Turbo Triathletes, age 14 (Tristar 3), Teddington, Middlesex

Pavan Rooprai, Thames Turbo Triathletes, age 16 (Youth), Heston, Middlesex

Jesse Taylor, age 14 (Tristar 3), Chingford

Pedro Vila de Mucha, Optima Racing Team, age 18 (Junior), Grove Park, London

Ellie Walton, age 15 (Youth), Bracknell

We wish all of Dave’s athletes every success in their 2010 race season, and hope to see many of them involved in the Surrey Legs of Steel event which takes place on Saturday 25th September, 2010.

Eight triathletes received Dave Aitchison SportsAid funding in 2009:

Armanni Antoine-Chagar, Walthamstow Tritons, aged 13 years (Tristar 3)

Lucy Chittenden, Farnham Tri Club, aged 17 years (Junior)

Sky Draper, Jetstream Tri, aged 13 years (Tristar 3)

Bradley Hales, Optima Racing Team, aged 19 years (Junior)

Lewis Hawkins, Jetstream Tri, aged 12 years (Tristar 2)

Emily McLoughlin, Crawley Tri Club, aged 16 years (Youth)

Matthew Myers, Optima Racing Team, aged 15 years (Youth)

Lara Nyman, Jetstream Tri/Team Viper, aged 16 years (Youth)