OLYMPIC gold medal cyclist Callum Skinner got on his bike with West Fife youngsters as he presented Pitreavie RaceRunning Group with a £500 cash boost.

The 24-year-old, who won the team sprint event as well as silver in the individual sprint at the Rio Games back in the summer, handed over the cheque last week to the innovative project that is one of nine sports clubs across the Kingdom to benefit from Aldi’s Scottish Sport Fund.

The fund was launched this year following the supermarket chain’s sponsorship of Team GB and is designed to support charity sports clubs throughout Scotland and build a lasting legacy from the Olympics by helping young people take part in physical activity within their local community.

The Pitreavie RaceRunning Group moved to the startline back in April when they hosted their first training session.

This offered youngsters who suffer from disabilities that severely restricts their movement the opportunity to take part in events with specially-designed running bikes on an athletics track.

An international disability sport, RaceRunning gives children and adults who can normally get around on an electric or manual wheelchair or walker the chance to race at relatively high speed using a RaceRunner, also known as a Petra bike.

Participants can take part for fun but competitions, which can range in distance from 40 metres to 5,000m with competitors classified on their disability, are available.

The RaceRunning Group’s Pierette Melville said: “To get the money is brilliant and will go towards another bike and some equipment for the kids to train with.

“The club is doing so well. On average we’ve got eight kids who come to each sessions and on Saturday we had 12 along to another taster session.

“We have a waiting list with people coming from all over but we are waiting on more bikes to come, which doesn’t happen quickly.

“It is lovely to see the kids blossom; it has been a great success and I love the social interaction and that it gets the kids healthier and fitter — but we need more bikes to cater for demand.”

Skinner added: “I started training at the City of Edinburgh Racing Club in Meadowbank so know first-hand that this type of funding will make a considerable difference to clubs and charities throughout the country.

“Every penny from the Aldi Scottish Sport Fund will be put to good use and, with support like this, clubs throughout Scotland will have the means to invest in new equipment and training, giving their members the best possible chance of achieving their goals.”

The RaceRunning Group are one of four West Fife clubs — including West Fife Fencing Club, Kingdom Gymnastics Trust and Fighting Chance Project Scotland — to share in £4,500 from the sports fund.

For more information on the group and taster sessions, search for Pitreavie Race Running on Facebook.