Halo Elite Free Access Scheme

APPLICATIONS FOR MEMBERSHIP OF HALO ELITE IN HEREFORDSHIRE ARE OPEN

Successful applicants will have use of Halo Facilities until 30th April 2014. 

Halo Leisure is continuing to show it’s commitment to developing sporting talent in Herefordshire, by calling for applications to its Halo Elite scheme which provides talented local athletes with the opportunity to access sports facilities for free. Run in partnership with Herefordshire Sport Halo, which operates nine centres across the county on behalf of Herefordshire Council, will be helping to ease the financial burden athletes may face by offering free access to its facilities for local athletes currently competing at national level. 

“As a not for profit organisation and registered charity whose primary aim is to provide the local community with active leisure facilities, we are delighted to be to offer this free access for another year,“ said Penny Southwood, Halo’s Community and Partnership Manager. “We see it as an opportunity to put something back into the community that has supported us so well. The current Halo Elite members come from a range of ages and sports including triathlon, swimming, sailing, rowing. They use our gyms, group exercise classes, pools, racket sports courts, indoor and outdoor sports pitches and golf course to keep fit and prepare for their next competitive event”

Halo is offering Elite Membership to local sports people during 2013-2014. Applicants to the scheme are not age-restricted, however they need to be currently competing at National level, or have done so in the last twelve months. National Governing Body (NGB) Eligibility would also need to be evidenced with any application.

Nicola Goodwin, is currently a member of Halo Elite, a member of the Great Britain age-group triathlon squad.

Nicola said, “As an age-group athlete I don't get any sponsorship and have to fund my travel, entry to races and training costs myself.  The Halo Elite scheme helps massively as it means I can access all of the facilities across Herefordshire without having to worry about the costs.  As Halo runs as a charity we also have much better sports facilities in Herefordshire than they do in other counties. I use the athletics track and gym throughout the year and in the winter months I use the swimming pools in Hereford and Leominster every week and do the Pilates and bodypump classes to boost my strength."

 The Application Form and Supporting Information on making an application can be downloaded, just click on 'Application Form' and 'Supporting Information' just below this text.

If you have any queries, please contact Halo's Community Partnerships Team on 0845 241 0350.

Additional Information

Application Form 

NOTE - Click here for information on the Halo Sport Foundation - offering support to athletes in Bridgend County Borough, where Halo operates 8 leisure centres and swimming pools

Achievements from Halo Elite Athletes

Nicola Goodwin & Claire Hebblethwaite

Five members of Hereford Triathlon Club competed against the world's best amateur athletes at the world age group triathlon championships in Vitoria, Spain, last weekend.

The event in the Basque region saw tens of thousands of people watch the competitors from across the world swim 4 kilometres, cycle 120 kilometres and run 30 kilometres.

Strong winds on the day made the course even tougher with a choppy and rough lake swim adding 10 per-cent to most of the competitors' swim times and causing testing conditions on the undulating bike course.
 
Stuart Austin (45 to 49) finished in 7:28 and was 53rd in his age group Kylie Mansfield (30 to 34) finished in 7:39 and was 10th in her age group and the first British woman home in her age group Nicola Goodwin (35 to 39) was 7:48 and was 13th in her age group and the first British woman home in her age groupSusan Pugh (30 to 34)., who was also competing for the RAF, finished in 8:00 and was 18th in her age group Claire Hebblethwaite (35 to 39) finished in 8:05 and was 20th in her age group
 
Both Kylie Mansfield and Nicola Goodwin had strong swims and were the second athletes out of the water in their age group waves.

Tasha Webster

The beginning of this year started off really well for me , I started racing more 10,000m and knocked a huge 4 minutes off my time from the previous year finishing in 52,45 this qualified me for the European permit race in Switzerland i finished 5th in the u18's age group at just 16 years old, I finished just a few seconds outside my personal best, but with it being my first large event abroad i was very happy with my result . 

Shortly after getting back from Switzerland I attended a training camp in Portugal for a week and whilst away received amazing news that i had been selected to race for Great Britain and NI for the first time at the world cup in Saransk, Russia. I was over the moon to be part of a large race walking squad selected to go which include Jo Jackson and Dominic king who are to race at the Olympics in a few weeks time.  Unfortunately the race did not go to plan , it was a very competitive field ,which i am not used to, Because of this i got knocked over after about 100m but i continued on in the race. Another junior walker from GB collapsed after 3000m due to the heat and unfortunately i was to follow, I collapsed at 6000m when it was 35 degrees and got taken to hospital with a suspected broken ankle from the start when i got pushed . Thankfully it wasn't but was ligament damage. It was an eventful trip but a great learning experience.

I was determined to race at the  Aviva Olympic Trials & UK Championships  over 5000m despite being injured . I finished in 7th position with a time only a few seconds slower to what I did the previous year . 

Since then I have started coaching Racewalking to Iona Prosser who has come on loads recently, she is hoping to join me this year at English schools . 

I Find Halo elite very useful and use your facility's normally at least once a day, its alot easier now I have finished school to do this.