Your stories

Rachel Light, who teaches swimming at Talbot Heath School in Bournemouth, plans to spend two weeks in Australia this summer to discover the nation's "secrets" when it comes to sporting success.

Rachel has been awarded a bursary by SkillsActive and the Nancy Ovens Trust - six are granted each year to paid and un-paid individuals working within the sport, fitness, playwork, outdoors and caravan sectors, and are designed to help improve their skills by allowing them to train outside their regular regime.

In line with the guidelines, Rachel has created her own training experience to meet her specific learning and development needs and has made contact with Swimming Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport, who have agreed to support her.

Rachel, who is the head coach at the Young Athletes Training Academy in Poole and works with young athletes from all sporting backgrounds, also plans to meet and work alongside Michael Bohl, coach to triple Olympic gold medallist and world record holder Stephanie Rice, during her trip to Australia.

Rachel working as a personal trainer

Dorset's "lacking facilities"

Rachel says: "As a coach I am consistently working with young athletes and am disappointed with the limited education [in Britain] for them and their parents.

"Basically we're lacking facilities, we're lacking support from the Government.

"There are lots of kids that don't know how much training they should be doing.

"[They] don't understand why they get weaknesses in their muscles or muscular strains, and it's really down to over training and over use of specific muscles.

"And as far as nutrition goes there's nothing. All there is are many confusing messages, especially on TV, about what kids should and shouldn't eat."

Australia's "streets ahead"

Rachel feels that Australia is "streets ahead" in terms of sports training and facilities.

She says: "Sport is a very big thing in Australia.

"At ground level they really encourage kids at school, which is something that we do, but we don't do it very well.

"The reason I am going to Australia is because I feel it's an excellent way of sharing information.

"I am intrigued to find out what procedures and support are in place for young athletes in a country like Australia.

"[I want to] find out what it is that they do to consistently produce world class athletes.

"Hopefully the knowledge I bring back will really make a difference to young athletes, not only in Dorset, but in other areas of Britain as well.

Rachel will visit Brisbane, Queensland

Although Rachel feels that the extra funding for swimming pool access has improved the situation in Britain, she still feels that more still needs to be done.

She says: "I'm not sure there are enough swim coaches and I'm not sure that there's enough time in the pool to help train all these kids, so we need more facilities."

Surf's up

The British Surfing Association (BSA) has also offered financial support to Rachel, but she will need additional funding if she is to get to Australia in August.

In her work for the BSA, Rachel plans to visit Surfing Queensland to learn about their surf coaching and education programmes.

She says: "I feel very fortunate to have received the bursary and support from the BSA and I hope that I can raise enough additional funds to be able to fulfil my goal."