A dedicated swimmer since a young age, Mark (20), who is from Jordanhill in Glasgow, is a member of the City of Glasgow Swim Team, Scottish Open Water Swim Team and British Open Water squad. 

One of Scotland’s most experienced open water swimmers, he was crowned the first ever champion of the Red Bull Neptune Steps, a 420m sprint swim that is classed as one of the UK’s toughest swimming races.

This funding will support Mark as he aims to qualify for the 2016 European Open Water Championships.

Expressing how honoured he is to have the backing of one of Scotland’s leading family businesses, Mark commented: “Mactaggart & Mickel Group do a lot for Scotland and local communities, I feel so honoured to have the support of such a respected company.

“Sponsorship is vital to competitive athletes and the support is really going to help me as I work towards achieving my goals this year. Without assistance from Mactaggart & Mickel Group I would have to spend more time at my part-time jobs to supplement my earnings and less time training, which would seriously affect my swimming performance.

“With the Scottish and European Open Water Championships this year, and the 2017 World Championships and 2018 Commonwealth Games just around the corner, it’s so important for me to dedicate as much time as possible to my training schedule. I can’t thank Mactaggart & Mickel Group enough for helping me achieve my dreams.”                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Ed Monaghan, chief executive of Mactaggart & Mickel Group, added: “It is a privilege to support such a committed and talented young swimmer like Mark. He is a fantastic role model for aspiring Scottish athletes and we look forward to watching his progress.”

Mactaggart & Mickel Group has a long history of supporting young talent, from local teams, schools and groups to its sponsorship of Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games’ hopeful, swimmer Jordan Hughes. The company also recently announced its sponsorship of one of the UK’s leading Paralympic swimmers, Andrew Mullen, who is hotly tipped to be a medal hopeful in the Rio 2016 Paralympics.