A KENDAL athlete is campaigning to save his Olympic dream after his sport’s funding for the 2012 games was cut.

Glen Robinson, 20, of Mintsfeet Road, has player water polo since he was 12 and currently plays for British champions Lancaster in the National League.

He told the Westmorland Gazette: “We have proved we can compete against the top teams and we need to maintain the competition to give ourselves a chance to make the Olympics in London.

“We received funding for the Olympics but it was taken away again due to the recession.”

Robinson and his Team GB colleagues have set up a petition to reinstate the support so they can fulfil their dreams and wristbands have been made which the squad are selling for £2.

So far Glen has raised around £500 through sales of the bands and he said that if all members raised the same they would be £13,000 better off.

Another step to fulfilling his dream could see Robinson travel to Australia to continue his development, with less than 1,000 days until the games get underway.

He said: “We are finding we may have to go abroad to get the same competition and I am hoping to go out to Australia.

“We are still training but we are not getting the financial aid and it means we are having to get new jobs to fund sessions.”

Robinson added: “Going abroad we will train to a higher standard and it will give the team a better chance. It would be such an honour to represent the country on home soil.”

Robinson was part of the British team which recently claimed fourth place in the European B Championships in Lugano, Switzerland, meaning they will now compete in the A championships next May.

He added: “This is the best result which the Great British team has ever had. We played six games and won four of them. I got three goals in the tournament and I got one of them during the bronze medal play-off.”

* If you want to buy a wristband or sign the petition to save Glen’s dream, log on to friendsofwaterpolo.co.uk or contact him on 07885 569601.