West Lothian athlete needs a boost on her way to World Championships in Norway
An athlete from West Lothian is looking for some assistance as she prepares to power her way to compete with the world's best in Scandinavia. Eilin Alsop, from Murieston in Livingston, is set to represent Great Britain in the World Benchpress Championships which take place from May 18 to 24 in Drammen, Norway. Powerlifter Eilin, 22, has previously competed successfully at the British Juniors, where she placed third, and the British Benchpress Championship, where she finished second, as well as winning the Scottish Universities title. The tournament in Norway will be Eilin's second international for benchpress, after winning at the Commonwealth Championships last October. The sport is largely underfunded in the UK and the Edinburgh University student, who is currently working towards a Masters Degree in Sports Studies, has to find the money for kit, as well as travel and accommodation in Norway. She has launched a GoFundMe page to try and raise as much as possible to allow her to compete with the best on the planet in her category. A former James Young High School pupil, Eilin trains at the Marrvelous Lifting Club in Livingston where she's encouraged by coach Darren Marr. Eilin said: 'I've been powerlifting for two-and-a-half years now. I started just trying to build muscle in my legs when I was playing football, I was at uni at Stirling and they had a team and I had joined that. 'Then I did the university competition and found out there's a powerlifting gym in Livingston and joined and just kept going since. I just decided I would take on powerlifting over football. 'I've always been quite athletic and used to swim, sport comes quite easy to me and the technique for powerlifting came quite easy to me. 'I'm hoping to pursue a career in strength and conditioning when I finish university.' Eilin is grateful to her parents for thei assistance since she started competing but there's a limit on how much help they can provide. 'My parents are fully behind me and always have with all my sports but I did the Commonwealth Championships in South Africa last year and had to set up a GoFundMe page for that as well. 'My parents put in as much as they can and I try to but I'm a student and it does take a bit of a toll. 'The kit is affordable and can be covered but flights and accommodation have to be purchased by the athletes. That happens with all the competitions, as athletes aren't sponsored. Powerlifting right now isn't very large as a sport. 'The community of Scottish and British powerlifting is something that has kept me in the sport. Marrvelous Lifting Club and all the athletes there have always supported and pushed me to do better than I ever thought I could, building my confidence and technique on bench press. "My coach Darren Marr, the owner of Marrvelous, has always seen the potential in my talent and has done everything possible to put me in the position I am in now. 'Getting the opportunity to represent Great Britain on the platform is something I never thought was possible.' You can help Eilin compete against the best, by donating at: www.gofundme.com/f/world-bench-championship Don't miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here .
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