GB Bobsleigh Team To Feature Military Charities On Sled

The logos of two military charities will be among those featured on the competitive sled of the Great Britain Bobsleigh team for the upcoming season.

Three of the GB crew are Armed Forces personnel and they were able to choose which charities they wanted to support.

Support Our Paras and the Royal Marines Charity were the two military organisations chosen.

GB Bobsleigh had their funding taken away by UK Sport in 2018, meaning the organisation and athletes are constantly looking for ways to raise money.

Their two commercial sponsors, Altus Financial and Medigold Health, have been joined by a third private sponsor which has given the team an opportunity to show support to the charities.

The initiative has been called 'Team Giving Back' and the squad is also proudly supporting the NHS with its logo down the front of the sled.

All other logos – including the charities – will be in full view down the sides of the sled and on the team members' podium jackets.

Marine Taylor Lawrence, whose charity of choice was the Royal Marines Charity, said: "The reasons I’m supporting this charity is because of the amazing work they do with serving and former Royal Marines as well as their families and wider community.

"Another reason I’m supporting this charity is the work and effort they’ve put in to help me get where I am today and hopefully pursue my Olympic career."

Meanwhile, Parachute Regiment duo Lance Corporal Nick Gleeson and Private Luke Dawes have praised the work done by their chosen charity, Support Our Paras.

LCpl Gleeson said: "Support Our Paras does exactly what it says on the tin. It provides welfare for serving and former paratroopers as well as their immediate families and the wider community.

"I’m also raising money for this charity because they’ve allowed me to get where I am in my sporting career today and continue with my progression to the Beijing 2022 Olympics."

Pte Dawes echoed those reasons and also revealed a personal choice for another charity involved.

He said: "I’ve chosen two charities – Support Our Paras because they’ve continuously supported me as an athlete over the past two years and they continue to support all the families of the Parachute Regiment soldiers.

"I’ve also chosen Great Ormond Street Hospital. As a baby, my brother was in an out of Great Ormond Street Hospital until his late teens for an abnormal blood vessel in his knee.

"They did great work there and I just want to give a little bit back."

The sled decorated with the charity logos will be used this weekend in the team's first World Cup race of the season in Igls, Austria.