Five Central Alberta athletes are recipients of the Athlete Development Grant from the Red Deer Games Foundation.
Each recipient received money to help offset the costs of training and equipment.
The grants were announced on Jan.3.
Recipient Anna Zimmerman represented Team Alberta in the 2016 Western Canadians, where she brought home a silver medal along with top five finishes in all her races. The Red Deer athlete also picked up a bronze medal at Haywood Nationals in Whitehorse.
Sarah Koopmans, also of Red Deer, played for the Team Alberta U18 group that were champions at the Canadian Federation Western Nationals, and finished fourth at the Interamnia World Cup in Teramo, Italy in July.
Two Sylvan Lake athletes, Elizabeth Moore and Tereza Simonova also received grants. Moore, 14, won gold in the 200-metre breaststroke while representing Alberta at the Olympic Trials in Toronto.
Simonova played tennis for Team Alberta at the 2016 Canadian Junior Nationals in the U18 category. Simonova is currently ranked the number six U18 female singles tennis player in Alberta.
Ian Lush of Bentley, a handball player, won gold representing Alberta at the Juvenile Handball National Championships in Regina.
Each athlete who received the grant “demonstrated a high level ability and strong commitment to their sport,” as well as, “achieved competence at the international, national, provincial or regional level,” according to a RDGF press release.