Living as an Athlete
Eleanor Simmonds
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Related content
- Athlete Personal Awards
- Financial Advice
- Agents, Sponsorship and Media information
- Representation
- Drug-Free Sport information
- Athlete Medical Scheme information
- Time Management
- Education
- Leaving a UK Sport Funded Programme
Athlete Personal Awards
UK Sport distributes lottery funding to help our best and most talented athletes achieve podium success. Athletes are nominated by governing bodies of sport, who have been awarded funding to provide the essential support services, such as coaching, training camps, competition and sport science. In addition to the centrally provided services, athletes can apply for a subsistence award, which provides a contribution to the essential personal living and sporting costs incurred whilst training and competing as an elite athlete. This is called an Athlete Personal Award (APA).
Financial Advice
Please refer to the British Athletes Commission for more information on financial advice. Read more on www.britishathletes.org.
Agents, Sponsorship and Media information
Sponsorship
The Get Sponsored website is currently unavailable. Please contact your Performance Lifestyle Advisor for information and advice on gaining sponsorship.
Media Training
It is crucial that when athletes have an opportunity to portray their image to potential sponsors through the media, that they feel confident to do so. Media training can be organised to ensure that all athletes have the skills to present themselves well when approached by the media.
Workshops can be organised either through your governing body or through your Performance Lifestyle adviser.
Also, the BOA has produced a media training handout for athletes to assist with dealing with the media.
For more information on these please speak to your Performance Lifestyle adviser.
Download the media training handout [WORD, 160k]
Agents
Athletes may feel that they need to have an agent as part of their support team, to assist them with the following issues:
- Commercial and sponsorship opportunities
- Contract advice
- Managing external commitments
Do I Need an Agent?
The need for an agent arises when the athlete feels self-management in these areas is becoming, or is likely to become, too much of a burden. So, how does an athlete know when this is the case?
Firstly, before any decision can be made it is important that the athlete understands what an agent could do for them.
Following that, an athlete needs to consider how the work of an agent could have a positive impact on their performances and their life outside of sport.
Managing Success
For athletes who have just been successful at the highest pinnacle of their sport, it is important they prepare for what might happen next.
There will be more press interest, potential forthcoming commercial opportunities, and of course, potential approaches from agents - all of which need to be managed.
For further information please speak to your Performance lifestyle adviser.
Representation
The BAC is working to provide all athletes with a way to make their voices heard and a pathway to pursue and resolve any problems they encounter within their sport. For more information on this, please visit www.britishathletes.org.
Drug-Free Sport
UK Anti-Doping’s website contains information for all athletes including downloadable fact-sheets as well as links to WADA, the Prohibited List, Global DRO, TUE information and links to Athlete Whereabouts. It has information for schools and athlete personnel in relevant sections and its video gallery provides a step-by-step guide to the anti-doping process.
Athlete Medical Scheme
Athletes who have medical cover through the Athlete Medical Scheme, and who are injured or ill, should first see their Governing Body or nominated doctor and then if referred for further investigations or treatment, should contact Janet Smith, Athlete Medical Scheme Administrator at the BOA for authorisation (tel. 0208 871 2677 ex 217).
If you should need any advice or information about the medical scheme, please do not hesitate to contact Janet.
Time Management
The aim of time management is to help you spend your most precious commodity - time - effectively, by integrating sporting, educational and personal commitments. Performance Lifestyle can assist athletes in a number of ways here.
If you are not recommended for continuation on a UK Sport funded programme, or you have decided to retire, you can expect to receive a period of notification/transitional funding (this does not apply in the event of disciplinary removal). When you sign up to your sports' terms and conditions in the Athlete Agreement you should receive an outline of the induction process, the continued standards required for inclusion and the transitional arrangements for athletes leaving the programme. Your Performance Lifestyle Adviser will also be able to help you at this time and you are strongly advised to obtain their help and guidance.Leaving a UK Sport Funded Programme
