A DALGETY BAY fencer has been recognised for her commitment to the sport by being shortlisted for a national award.

Kate Daykin, 24, is one of three young people from the Kingdom to have been put forward for an accolade at the 2021 Sunday Mail Young Scot Awards, which take place ‘virtually’ on April 22.

Being held for the 15th year, the awards aim to recognise and inspire the nation’s young people, championing and celebrating their achievements from across Scotland.

Kate, who is a member of the Salle Ossian fencing club in Perthshire, is one of three nominees in the Sport category, while 15-year-olds Callum Christie and Logan Fenton, from Cupar, are finalists in the Health and Wellbeing category.

The sport category celebrates the extraordinary achievements of young people through their strength and determination, and Kate’s achievements on and off the piste have made her a worthy finalist.

A senior member of Britain’s Olympic fencing team, Kate was the first female sabre fencer to be selected for the 2019 Senior World Championship and claimed a team silver medal at the Commonwealth Senior and Veteran Fencing Championships the previous year.

In addition to her busy training regime, the young Olympian dedicates her free time to supporting the next generation of fencers by volunteering at her club, which has even continued throughout lockdown.

Passionate about making fencing accessible to all in spite of COVID-19 restrictions, Kate created a series of online training videos to help young members of the club remain active and continue their training.

GB para-athlete gold-medallist Kayleigh Haggo, from Maybole in Ayrshire, and Morgan Sorrell, a footballer with Port Glasgow Juniors Community who devotes his free time to coaching young people, are also in the mix for the Sport award.

Louise Macdonald OBE, chief executive of Young Scot, said: “Callum, Logan and Kate’s inspiring achievements show how important young people are to Scotland and their incredible contribution to communities in Fife.

“A huge congratulations to all of the 2021 finalists – we can’t wait to celebrate their achievements at the awards ceremony!”

Accolades in 14 different categories will be presented. at the online awards.