ScottishNews.com

The Braveheart Ride and Dinner raises money to help promising young Scottish cyclists meet the costs of equipment, coaching, travel and competition before they become established professionals.

This year’s event will move to Stirling following a memorable home Commonwealth Games at which five former recipients of Braveheart funding represented Team Scotland.

They included 19-year-old Boothman, from Netherlee in East Renfrewshire, who won bronze medals in the Individual Pursuit and Scratch Race.

Elliot Rowe, Kate Richardson, Neil Fachie and Neah Evans also competed in Glasgow after receiving support from Braveheart during their development.

CR Smith has returned as headline sponsor of the event. Its founder and chairman Gerard Eadie CBE said the performances provided powerful evidence of what targeted investment in emerging Scottish sporting talent could achieve.

He said: “Scottish cycling has become one of this country’s great sporting success stories, but behind every Commonwealth medallist and world champion are years of dedication, sacrifice and support.

“Watching five former Braveheart riders represent Scotland in Glasgow – and seeing Erin return with two Commonwealth medals – was a tremendous endorsement of what this fund can achieve.

“CR Smith is proud to support the next chapter of the Braveheart Ride and Dinner because today’s promising young riders have the potential to become tomorrow’s champions.”

Founded in 2004, the Braveheart Cycling Fund provides grants to riders at one of the most financially challenging stages of their careers.

The support can help cover the cost of competing, travelling, coaching and buying specialist equipment at a point when young athletes may be training at an elite level without earning an income from the sport.

Previous recipients include Olympic champion Katie Archibald, Olympic gold medallist Callum Skinner, Anna Shackley, Charlie Aldridge and Neah Evans.

Boothman said Braveheart’s support when she was 16 and 17 helped her progress from promising junior to professional cyclist.

She now rides for Liv AlUla Jayco Women’s Continental Team and is based in Girona alongside many of the world’s leading riders.

Her two medals in Glasgow followed four UCI Junior Track World Championship titles, three European junior titles, British titles on both the road and track, and multiple junior world records.

Boothman said: “People probably think that once you’re racing internationally everything is paid for, but it isn’t. Before I signed my professional contract, I was training and competing like a full-time athlete, travelling across Europe and doing everything I could to reach the next level, but I wasn’t earning anything.

“My parents had a big role to play, but Braveheart also helped bridge that gap. The grants help with travel, equipment and all those little things that allow you to keep progressing instead of worrying about how you’re going to afford the next race.

“More than anything, it makes you feel that somebody believes in you. When you become part of Braveheart, you see the riders who’ve gone before you – Olympic medallists, world champions and Commonwealth athletes – and realise that maybe you can follow that same path.

“Scotland has so much cycling talent, but talent on its own isn’t enough. Without that support, many young riders simply wouldn’t get there.”

Boothman described Glasgow 2026 as a turning point in her career and the first occasion on which she had allowed herself to take pride in her achievements.

She said: “Going into Glasgow, I hoped I could win a medal, but I never really believed everything would come together the way it did.

“To come away with two medals at a home Commonwealth Games still feels surreal. When I stood on the podium looking into the crowd, that was probably the first time I’d truly allowed myself to feel proud of what I’d done.

“I’ve won world junior titles before, but this felt different because of the stage, the occasion and the people who were there to share it with me.”

The sponsorship provided by CR Smith continues Gerard Eadie’s long-standing support for Scottish cycling and will help the Braveheart Ride and Dinner build on its return last year following an absence of almost a decade.

The event brings cyclists, supporters, businesses and leading figures from the sport together to raise money for the fund. This year, participants will ride through routes around Stirling before attending an evening dinner featuring some of Scottish cycling’s best-known names.

Previous guests have included Tour de France stage winner and former King of the Mountains Pippa York, Olympic medallists Jack Carlin and Grant Ferguson, and former professional cyclist Evan Oliphant.

Kathy Gilchrist, trustee of the Braveheart Cycling Fund, said: “Elite athletes don’t suddenly appear on Commonwealth or Olympic podiums. Their journeys start years earlier, and there is a crucial stage at which relatively modest financial support can make an enormous difference.

“Erin is a perfect example. She already had the talent, determination and work ethic. Braveheart helped remove some of the financial barriers she faced before becoming a professional.

“Seeing five former recipients represent Scotland in Glasgow demonstrates exactly why the fund exists. We are enormously grateful to CR Smith for sharing that commitment and helping us give more talented young Scots the opportunity to realise their potential.”

CR Smith hopes its backing will encourage other Scottish businesses and cycling supporters to get behind the event.

Mr Eadie added: “Scotland has no shortage of talent, but ambition needs to be matched by opportunity.

“The Braveheart Cycling Fund offers businesses a practical way to make a difference at the stage when young athletes may need support most. We hope this year’s event in Stirling will bring even more people together behind the next generation.”