Performance Lifestyle

What is a Performance Lifestyle?

A Performance Lifestyle is for high achievers – those people who want to get the most out of life and produce their best in everything that they do!

It’s for people who know that the many aspects of their life impact on each other and that each one needs to be carefully planned and managed if all their goals and aspirations to be achieved.

For elite athletes to maintain a performance lifestyle they have to fit many aspects of their life into their intensive training programme.

How can it be achieved?

Performance Lifestyle is an individualised support service specifically designed to help each athlete create the unique environment necessary for their success.

Trained Athlete Advisers recognise that the sport programme is the main focus for competing athletes and provide guidance on how to maximise that focus while still fulfilling other important commitments such as career, family, social, financial.

The approach is to work closely with coaches and support specialists as part of an integrated team to minimise potential concerns, conflicts and distractions, all of which can be detrimental to performance, and at worst, may end a career prematurely.

Lifestyle Support

Today’s high performance athlete needs a high degree of self-management and professionalism. Support is available for:

Time management
Budgeting & finance
Dealing with the media
Sponsorship & promotion activities
Negotiation/ Conflict management

Careers & Employment Advice

Advice is available for athletes on finding a suitable job and deciding on a future career. Some common situations are:

A job to supplement income and fit around training demands
Work placements to give a taste of possible careers options
Planning for a second career after sport

Athlete Advisers have links with local employers and the OPEN* programme to promote the range of skills and experiences athletes can bring to the workplace.

* Olympic and Paralympic Employment Network- managed by the British Olympic Association

“Planning for the future after competition is vital. I want to know that when I finish the Olympics that I am looking forward to something that I am motivated for.”
Iain Percy

Education Guidance

Some athletes will be trying to combine study with their sport whilst others may think about taking further qualifications and training in preparation for life after sport. Guidance is available on:

Part time or professional courses
Gaining flexibility in an existing study programme
Making the right education choices to fit into sporting demands

The Service

Performance Lifestyle is available to all athletes on the World Class Pathway, as well as those in professional sports which deliver the service – namely English Cricket Board, Rugby Football Union and Welsh Rugby Union.

Athletes can arrange confidential individual sessions with Athlete Advisers based at sports institute sites throughout the UK, or attend squad and regionally organised multi-sport workshops.

Athlete Advisers can also work with sport’s staff to deliver lifestyle management activities around an annual programme or training camps.

“It takes more than a disciplined lifestyle to succeed in sport. Good career management is important too. Performance Lifestyle will help provide this, and should produce a much more positive attitude in preparation for competition.”

Steve Bull
Sport Psychologist

“Throughout the years I’ve had to deal with a variety of situations including injury, choice of careers, continuing education and between that, having a family. If it wasn’t for my athlete adviser I wouldn’t have the confidence to structure my life around these experiences.”

Graeme Randall
Judo

For more information contact the Performance Lifestyle National Coordinator – lifestyle@uksport.gov.uk