Today, champion gymnast Dan Keatings completed a world first by teaming up with Britain’s Got Talent winners Spelbound to perform a display using a ‘human vault’. Spelbound built the vault using only their bodies before Dan performed his routine over it to launch Bupa’s partnership with UK Sport – as its Official Health Insurance Partner.
For the last 10 years, Bupa has been working in partnership with UK Sport, the organisation that funds elite athletes through the World Class Performance Programme. The partnership ensures that over 1200 of the UK’s best athletes have access to specialist medical treatment, when expertise outside of the day to day medical support is required. During this time, Bupa has covered over 29,000 treatments for British athletes, which have included 1,130 fractures and 6,782 surgeries.
UK Sport Chief Executive, Liz Nicholl, said: “Injuries are a constant threat to the success of every elite athlete; years of preparation for competition can be ruined in an instant, so the support provided by Bupa’s health insurance to help our athletes recover from the most serious injuries is crucial.”
Bupa Health and Wellbeing Managing Director, Dr Natalie-Jane Macdonald, said: “We’re immensely proud to have provided Britain’s athletes with access to the best medical expertise for the last ten years. Our partnership with UK Sport means we can continue to provide this essential support – ensuring that when our athletes do get injured they’re back competing at their very best as soon as possible.”
Looking ahead to the launch, Dan Keatings said: “I’m used to performing over normal vaults but to use a human vault, particularly in such an iconic London location, is going to be a fantastic experience.”
The 2009 world silver medallist and 2010 European champion went on to say: “Injury and illness can threaten an athlete’s career if not identified and dealt with quickly. Bupa was there for me when I was injured last year and helped me get back to training quickly. I have been lucky to have had access to the very best treatment, meaning I’ve been able to overcome injuries as quickly as possible and continue to compete on a world level."