UK Sport

'Train Like Champions Challenges' commence in Bath

Train Like Champions Challenge
UK Sport

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Jessica Whitehorn 03 February 2009

The first of four ‘Train Like Champions Challenge’ events planned over the coming month, hosted by UK Sport, took place at the world class facilities at the University of Bath’s Sports Training Village at the weekend.

Over 600 people have applied to take part in ‘Train like Champions’, a recruitment drive run by UK Sport’s Research and Innovation team aimed at finding volunteers to take part in cutting-edge research projects into human performance sciences, in order to discover and test novel training strategies and methods.

The first group of willing volunteers keen to benefit from the expertise of world class coaches and sport scientists, while supporting research that will give Britain’s top athletes the edge over the opposition, were invited to take part in a battery of performance tests aimed at determining their experience level and how well their training history replicates that of an elite athlete.

Sports scientists from UK Sport, the English Institute of Sport, the Olympic Medical Institute and the University of Bath were on hand to motivate the participants and give them feedback on their performance on the day.

Train Like Champions Challenge participant, 24-year-old Sports Development Officer Lisa Perryman from Bristol, an amateur boxer and European Union Championships silver medallist, said: “I wanted to take part in ‘Train like Champions’ for purely selfish reasons - to find out a bit more about how I can improve my overall performance. I’ve really enjoyed the physical challenges today and the ‘Train like Champions’ experience so far.”

Georgie Starkie, a 27-year-old Ecologist and keen runner from Bath, said: “I think Train Like Champions is a great idea and today has been so interesting – I have learnt just from being here today that I need to include more cross-training in my fitness regime. Even if I don’t get asked to take part in any research trials, today has been worthwhile – but I hope I do!”

When the project was launched back in September, Head of Research and Innovation, Dr Scott Drawer explained the need for the volunteers’ help:

“For work in this area to be applicable to elite athletes, we need to involve participants in our projects who are capable of training like our best athletes – with the utmost dedication and determination.

“The overall performance level is not the only factor which will determine whether individuals can contribute – it is just as important that we find participants who, like many of our athletes, are at the perceived limit of their individual capabilities.”

Following the first Train like Champions Challenge, Dr Drawer said:

“The people here today have all embraced the challenges we have set out for them. I look forward to working with some of them in the near future as we seek out innovative training methods and performance solutions to help British athletes remain a step ahead of the competition in 2012 and beyond.”

Three further Train like Champions Challenge events will take place in Sheffield this weekend and in London on the 21st and 28th February, to determine the suitability of more volunteers for forthcoming research projects. Anyone interested in taking part in Train Like Champions later this year should apply online at www.uksport.gov.uk/tlc

Those who appear to display the characteristics required for specific projects will be asked to commit to various performance projects. In return the ‘elite subjects’ will benefit from free performance assessments and training plans, and experience innovative training interventions under the guidance of world class coaches and sport scientists, enabling them to train like a champion.

The Train like Champions team would like to thank all of the sport scientists who gave up their time to assist in running the event in Bath on Saturday, as well as those who donated items to the Train Like Champions goody bags: British Cycling, British Swimming, Camelot, the English Institute of Sport, For Goodness Shakes, Lucozade Sport, Power Bar, the RYA, Science in Sport and the University of Bath.