The helping hand given to Hamish Bond (rowing), Fiona Bourke (rowing), Alison Shanks (cycling), Nicky Samuels (triathlon), Greg Henderson (cycling) and Hugo Inglis (hockey) helped them get to the Games.
In the latest round, grants totalling $150,000 have been given to 167 athletes competing in 36 sports ranging from athletics to wood chopping.
Foundation Chairman, David Skeggs has been pleased by the success of athletes who have received grants in the past 20 years.
"We are very proud to support these amazing sportsmen and women, and to be a part of helping them represent Otago and New Zealand," he said.
"I have followed the careers of many of them, and when we give a hand-up to an athlete like Alison Shanks or Brendon McCullum to help get them started, and they then go on to be the best in the world, I know we've been part of something really special."
The grants started in 1993 and just over $2 million has been given to promising athletes.
The foundation makes grants in March and September each year to athletes from Otago with the distribution of grants managed by Sport Otago.
"We are the only province that has this form of funding. It is unique in New Zealand," the Sport Otago Operations manager Duanne Donovan said.
Elite competitors such as Olympic rowing gold medallist Hamish Bond and world champion cyclist Alison Shanks have made public their appreciation of the help they have received from the Skeggs Foundation.
"Recently I've seen cyclists win medals at the junior world championships, hockey players, rowers, cyclists and triathletes go to the Olympics, and our netballers win the national championship," Skeggs said.
"Those are successes I am very proud to have our family name associated with."
The Skeggs trustees are keen to give a helping hand to those who are on the verge of breaking into the big time siuch as rowers Alistair Bond and Lucy Strack, swimmers Kurt Crosland and Kate Godfrey and cricketers Jack Hunter and Kylie Crowley.
Donovan said "on the back of recent successes in netball, cycling, and rowing the trustees are keen to help bring through the next generation of athletes in those sports".
Central Otago athletes in the list of recipients include Matthew Scoles (cycling), Ailsa Rollinson (multisport) and Taylor Rapley (alpine skiing).
In addition, 23 coaches and officials will also receive support through funding from the Otago Community Trust.
Long-serving trustee Graham Gosney has retired and a replacement has yet to be named.
