Shetland Goalie’s Career Takes Off.

A football-mad Shetland teenager has signed the deal of a lifetime with Loganair to propel her professional ambitions.

Katie Anderson from Burra has been offered free travel from Sumburgh to Dundee via Loganair’s Flying’s For All scheme, which champions equality for women. The support will allow Katie to fly for free as she chases a professional career as a goalkeeper, with the aim of emulating her idol - Manchester United’s Mary Earps.

Katie, 16, currently plays for Shetland Girls’ Football Club’s under 18s team and wants to start her own training academy for goalies on the island. However, life off the mainland brings with it unique challenges.

With limited facilities and opportunities, the United fan has been training and playing locally while flying to Dundee for additional coaching with BGK Academy, all thanks to Loganair’s exclusive service between Sumburgh and the City of Discovery.

Now, the UK’s largest regional airline has stepped in to help take Katie’s ambitions to the next level by supporting her travel for training with free flights.

Katie said:

“I have played football since I was five-years-old and I can’t ever remember not being in love with it.

It’s my passion to make professional goalkeeping my career but living on Burra means I have to cross three bridges just to get to the mainland for games. I would love to provide specialist training here in Shetland for all goalkeepers but the facilities are limited so I’ve been travelling to Dundee to attend extra training on a four to six-week basis."

Loganair’s island routes provide a lifeline link for people like Katie, who travel to mainland UK for business or leisure on a regular basis.

Growing up idolising stars such as Earps at United and Real Madrid’s María Isabel "Misa" Rodríguez Rivero sparked Katie’s ambitions to make football her life, and Loganair’s support to travel on its unique connection with Dundee is key to now helping her take the next step in her professional career.

“Lifeline service doesn’t really describe it enough,” she said.

“As far as my goalkeeper coaching is concerned, having a direct link to Dundee makes everything so easy. I miss less school and I don’t have long travel times on trains or the ferry, which means I am not over tired from travelling and I’m in the best possible physical condition before training.

Gaining as many skills and learning as much as I possibly can through the opportunities BGK Academy provides is possible only through the service Loganair provides. Having this opportunity and support from people like Loganair helps me to be in the best condition I can.”

Katie’s mum, Kay said:

“When we looked into how we could support Katie’s ambitions and give her the best chance possible, Loganair was the clear choice for travel to the mainland. A direct link to our destination is just so efficient and convenient.

Having this support from Loganair is a massive help.”

Loganair’s Chief Commercial Officer, Luke Lovegrove, said:

“We have a fantastic connection with our island communities and the regions we connect them to, such as Dundee. This puts us in a very fortunate position to support people like Katie.

She is an inspirational young woman who is determined to encourage greater participation in sport for all, but particularly other young people who might not have the same opportunities to access professional football as those on the mainland.

Our Flying’s For All initiative was designed specifically to support people like Katie, and I look forward to watching her career grow in Dundee and at home in Shetland.”