Women’s Highland Games

Sponsor Name: Kaitlin Hicks

Location: North Yorkshire

Sector: Sports

Budget: Budget Varies

Social Links


Amongst other things, the highland games is the oldest professional sport in the world. Highland Games take place all over Scotland, including in the small islands surrounding it, and are a unique mix of sporting, cultural and social activities. Their programme usually consists of track and field events, piping, and Highland dancing competitions, as well as ‘heavy events’ like hammer throwing, throwing a weight for distance, and tossing the caber.

This meaning the whole time I am on the field, I will be able to wear clothing with the name of your company across my front/back, and also share this on our Facebook page Teesside Throwers squad as well as on my instagram page which has reached as far as Canada.

The games and events held in the Highlands of Scotland were considered a way for males to prove their manhood, but what has changed throughout the years?The main answer is – women!
The Highland Games entered the Olympics at its start in 1896 for men, and women could compete from 1948. Though, women have really only started to make a breakthrough in the last 10-15 years. Throughout this winter, with some support from some other female competitors, I have managed to persuade around 10 Highland Games gatherings to hold a competition for women, for the first time ever.

Target Audience

Women empowerment companies, female companies, sport companies, physiotherapists, 18-50

Key Dates and Timings

Women's highland games happen all over Scotland during the summer months, from May-September. The Sponsorship would be required most of the year to support my all year round training and recovery need such as sports massages.

Specific Opportunity Details

Hello there,

My name is Kaitlin Hicks, I live in Stokesley and I work at Stokesley school. I was born in Great Ayton, and have lived in the area all of my life.

I competed in athletics (mainly shot putt and discus) from the age of 11, and I am now 27. I won pretty much every title there is to win, in each of the age groups, all over the country. In 2021 I decided to take a step back from the sport, for various different reasons, and thought I was hanging up my throwing shoes for good; until my coach David, who I’d kept in touch with during this break, asked me if I would like to have a go at something ‘new’…

David has a background in the Highland Games, and holds many records up in Scotland at some of the biggest and most famous Highland Games there are, including Braemar, that the royal family personally attend every year.
He asked me bluntly: if I’d like to have a go myself. And having thrown heavy things for fun for 15 years by this point, I thought “why not?”.

So that brings me to where I am now: having trained for the Highland Games for around 18 months, and competed only twice at the back end of last year, once at the UK championships and once at a local Games in the quaint town of Pitlochry. I placed 2nd at the UK championships and I won the first ever women’s Pitlochry Highland Games.

These competitions struck a chord with me and gave me a real sense of love and passion for a sport again: something I’d had all those years ago at age 11. I am continuing to grow this passion, and over this winter have managed to put some of the passion into organising new women’s games up and down Scotland.

The Highland Games have notoriously been a men’s sport for many years, until the past few years.
Between myself and one of the friends I made up in Scotland, we have got over 20 women’s Highland Games organised for this year, most of which I will hopefully be attending.

I have recently (last week during half term) had an invite to the women’s World Professional Highland Games Championships, in Alaska, in June this year. However, after a lot of discussion with the organisers, I found that attending this competition would mean I could never compete in an amateur competition again, so none of the games in Scotland that I had just focused all of my efforts into organising. This with the fact that I have really only just started my career, rightly or wrongly, and after a lot of consideration, I have declined this invitation.

Amongst all of this, I have realised a few things: people are really fascinated by the Highland Games, what it is, its history and how it works. I would love to share this knowledge as far and as wide as I can, and would love even more for the people of Stokesley to support me on my journey. I am just not sure how to do this - and I guess this is where this email comes in. A plea for help or possibly a spot on your newsletter, or some suggestions of where I could go to next.

I have also realised the cost of these Highland Games are quite large - thankfully the yearly fee to join the RSHGA (royal Scottish Highland Games association), is not that expensive, however the fuel and accommodation costs up to Scotland, almost every weekend from May - September, quickly add up.
This has led me to possibly looking into a sponsor, who may want to again support me on my journey. I did a go fund me last summer, that enabled me to get my kilt, equipment, shoes, etc, which I was incredibly grateful for. But understandably my financial situation has increased quite a lot with so many more Games organised and the potential to travel further afield than the UK.

I am hoping this might be something you’re interested in sharing with your connections for possible sponsorship opportunities.
I’m sorry if it jumps from pillar to post - I couldn’t get things typed down quick enough!

Thanks very much for your time,
Looking forward to your response.

Regards,
Kaitlin Hicks

Features and Benefits

The whole time I am on the field, I will be able to wear clothing with the name of your company across my front/back, and also share this on our Facebook page Teesside Throwers squad as well as on my instagram page which has reached as far as Canada. I am hoping to be invited to more world highland games championships so your brand name could reach even further than scotland and the UK.

Other Partners

none currently

Investment

Support to travel to Scotland, fuel money / sports massage money / money for replacing of equipment / money for accomodation in scotland for the weekend

Other Info

Just that I would really greatly appreciate the support from yourselves. I work full time as a teaching assistant with children with special needs, volunteered in sport with people with special needs and have seen first hand how vital support, from any angle, can really benefit a person, and though I do not have special needs, I know that the support financially would make a huge difference in my ability to compete and give my all, as at the moment other things are having to give for my passion to compete to carry on. I am spending too much time injured as well and would really benefit from some sort of intervention from sports massage or physio but at the moment this is not something I can afford.