Megan Tinker certainly has a string to her bow that singles her out from most of her other 17-year-old peers.

Having completed a beginner’s course in the sport four years ago, the archer from Doncaster was fast-tracked onto the GB Performance Academy and has seen her quickly progress up the national rankings.

And thanks to a nationwide funding initiative, the Dearne Valley Archery Club shooter has boosted her chances of debuting at her first major championships.

Managed by charity SportsAid, Sport England’s Backing The Best programme aims to support talented young athletes who would face difficulties progressing through their sport’s talent development system without critical financial help.

Seventy athletes were supported during the programme’s first term in 2016, producing world, European and national age-group level champions.

The Barnsley College student was one of those named among the recent intake of athletes and will receive an annual award of up to £5,000 to help with essential costs such as travel, accommodation and kit.

Tinker will also benefit from extra support from coaches and physios as she aims to progress in the sport, which she admits is a massive confidence boost.

She said: “My bow cost around just under £2,000, it is quite expensive so I was chuffed to bits when I learned SportsAid were going to sponsor me.

“My mum was really happy because we have struggled financially with archery because it is just so expensive so we were happy to get the money and pursue archery to a high level.

“It gives me a big confidence boost and makes me feel good about myself that someone has faith in me.”

Tinker, who originally took up archery because she wanted to emulate her favourite Game of Thrones character, Katniss Everdeen, is now hoping to pursue a fairy-tale ending of medalling in the sport.

She said: “My big dream is to get to Tokyo but for this year my aim is to go to Slovenia for the World Championships and hopefully win a medal.

“I know in archery there are a lot of tough competitors out there but I believe in my ability. It would mean the world to me because I worked so hard, to make my mum and dad proud as well would give me a confidence boost.”

Backing The Best will use £5.5 million of National Lottery funding over four years to extend SportsAid’s reach into new areas of the country and offer more support to those who face the biggest financial challenges.

All the athletes are nominated to SportsAid by their sport’s governing bodies, with the charity then ensuring funding goes to those who are most in need.

Tinker has already benefited from being part of the programme, having attended a recent workshop with fellow athletes where she also got to meet with two-time Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington.

And the retired swimmer, a former SportsAid supported athlete herself, believes the support can be invaluable for Tinker’s own sporting journey.

“It’s about these athletes absorbing everything around them right now at their age, almost being a bit like a sponge,” she said.

“As an individual, you have to find out what works for you and this is the age to do that for these athletes.

“It’s about taking on loads of people’s advice, taking them on board and then figuring out what works for them and what doesn’t.

“My journey started when I joined a club when I was eight years old. For me, when I got to about 13, 14, my parents were struggling to manage everything from competitions to racing suits to everything that comes with it.

“SportsAid was a massive help with that, whether that was playing for petrol or new training equipment that I needed. It really made a huge difference to myself.”

Backing The Best is helping young talented athletes facing the greatest financial pressure to pursue their sporting ambitions. The programme, managed by SportsAid for Sport England, is supported by National Lottery funding. Please visit www.sportengland.org/our-work/talent/backing-the-best/ for more information.