Members of North Uist Amateur Athletics Club discovered skills they didn't know they had when they hurled themselves into a training session recently with top throwing coaches George and Lesley Loney.

The Loneys were invited over from Elgin by NUAAC coach Mairi Levack who had witnessed for herself their success in training youngsters during various events on the mainland.

In Lochmaddy Hall and Taigh Dearg gym, the Loneys first ran some training sessions for adults using medicine balls designed to relate body conditioning work with throwing. The couple then spent a day training 16 enthusiastic youngsters in the grounds of Paible school.

Mairi Levack said: "We all had a brilliant time. We're very grateful to the Loneys for coming all the way over to coach us. They've been very helpful and supportive, including giving us training schemes and visual aids to keep us going after they've left. It's been great for the kids but also for us as coaches, we've learned so much. Throwing has been a weak point in the club.

"We're also grateful to the Uist and Barra Sports Council for putting up a sports development grant to fund the session."

The Loneys' visit was particularly useful to budding young coach Jamie Quarm. The 18-year-old has started his level one training, but hopes to specialise in throwing during his training for the level two coaching qualification.

George Loney is a former sprinter, decathlete, thrower, PE teacher and Scottish athletics coach. Now he concentrates his efforts on training Elgin AAC and any other club which invites his help. Lesley took up coaching after the birth of her two children, and is now qualified to level three. Both coach the Scottish Schools team and Scottish Clubs team. With hammer "guru" Alan Bertram, the couple also play a leading role in the growth of hammer throwing as a new sport.

Elgin AAC now boasts a squad of 15, 12 of whom are girls. Lesley said: "We find girls may not enjoy athletics, but they love throwing. It's fun! We've always had a tradition in hammer throwing in Elgin, and now the girls are making their mark in the female hammer world."

Picture and article by Susy Macaulay, Macaulay media.