IFGL’s fab four athletes secure a new deal
Manx athletes Ollie Lockley, Matt Bostock, Erika Kelly and Tom Gandy have secured a renewal of their sponsorship agreements with International Financial Group Limited brands RL360 and Friends Provident International (FPI).
Last year was another tough one for all four athletes, as it was for sportspeople around the world, but they’ve performed well and showed their grit in the face of adversity.
Here, Ollie, Matt, Erika and Tom provide an insight into how 2021 shaped up for them and share some plans for the coming year.
 | Tom Gandy – Golfer (RL360/FPI)
Last year I was supposed to play in the Challenge Tour events but due to the disruption of Covid-19, I ended up playing most of the season at the highest level: the European Tour.
This was a big advantage in that it was great to experience this level of competition and it will keep me in good stead for the future when (fingers crossed!) I am a fully-fledged European Tour player. I had the opportunity to observe how the best players practiced, played, and even managed to pick some of their brains. |
 | Ollie Lockley – Runner (RL360)
My main objective in 2021 was to qualify for the Commonwealth Games standard, which I did competing in the London Marathon. I finished the course in under 2:20:00 and as a result I was selected for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and will represent the Isle of Man on 30 July in Birmingham.
The next focus will be solely on the Commonwealth Games and gearing towards what I hope will be a great performance in Birmingham!
I want to give a BIG thank you to RL360 for their support in such challenging times and for the continuation of this into 2022. |
 | Erika Kelly – Race walker (RL360)
Unfortunately Covid-19 greatly impacted my 2021 racing season and meant that all the races I had planned - including trying to qualify for the Commonwealth Games - were cancelled. I was fortunate enough to be invited to race in the British Olympic 20km Trials, which were held in Kew Gardens, but Covid-19 protocols and restrictions meant we had to race at 4am - ahead of the British Marathon trials. It was a bit of a shock to the system, but I was extremely grateful to walk away with a bronze medal.
With everything I’ve learned this year, I hope I can go into 2022 stronger, robust and more confident as an athlete. I am continuing to strive for specific targets including, in the long-term, aiming for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics and I'm very excited to see what I can achieve! |
 | Matt Bostock – Cyclist (RL360)
To put it simply I'd say the first half of my year went really well and the second half was marred with bad luck and a couple of crashes.
In the first half of 2021, I achieved some of my best results ever but more importantly, I was consistent. I managed to get four top 10's in professional races (riding against the best teams in the world), which filled me with confidence and helped raise my profile amongst the bigger teams.
Sadly, a broken finger at the start of August came at the worst possible time – coinciding with the final run-up to my goals for the season - and meant that for 3 weeks I couldn't compete outside.
I didn’t let it ruin my season however and coming 9th on the final stage of the Tour of Britain (the biggest race in Britain) against household names like Mark Cavendish was definitely a high point |