Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic
heroes are being encouraged to consider career options after elite sport
through a special Athlete Futures event at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on
Tuesday, 1 November.
Athlete Futures has attracted over 300 elite athletes while
nearly 40 big businesses will be represented at the event including Aldi,
Halfords, the Muller Group and Goldman Sachs.
In what is the only event of its kind, Athlete Futures has
seen UK Sport, the English Institute of Sport (EIS), the British Olympic
Association (BOA) and the British Paralympic Association (BPA) join forces to
help athletes identify opportunities that will make them job ready when they
retire.
The event will be a day of tailored activity that will
include keynote speeches, Q&A sessions and a series of workshops to help
athletes plan for a career after elite sport.
Athlete Futures will see athletes introduced to businesses,
potential employers and training providers to enable a more seamless transition
when they retire from top level sport.
Liz Nicholl, CEO of UK Sport who will host the event, said:
“Our Olympic and Paralympic athletes dedicate years of their lives in the
pursuit of excellence – to be the very best they can, to win on the world stage
and to make the nation proud.
“On their journey they develop unique technical and personal
qualities and skills that make them the best in the world. In the sporting
world, they are undoubtedly our greatest asset.
“Given the opportunity they can also become a significant
asset to the business world when they transition from their full time
commitment to sport. This is a call to the business world to say you can grasp
this opportunity by being a part of the athletes’ futures.”
Nigel Walker, National Director at the EIS, said: “The
ability for athletes to make a positive difference does not stop when they decide
to move on from their sport and they have much to offer the workplace and
society in general due to their commitment to excellence, teamwork, focus and
drive. I believe the Athlete Futures event can play an important part in
ensuring athletes continue to be successful away from the sporting arena.
“Critically the event will be aimed not only at those
athletes leaving the world class programme, but also current athletes to
encourage them to begin to develop a post-sport plan and there will be workshops
and sessions to cater for athletes at every stage of their sporting career.”
Bill Sweeney, British Olympic Association CEO, said: “At the
British Olympic Association the Athletes’ Commission – led by Ben Hawes –
supports athletes throughout their elite career with Team GB. Now more than
ever we are also looking in detail to support the success of these athletes
when their competition days come to an end. Which is why Athlete Futures is
such a vital event for athletes irrespective of whether they are still in
competition or not.
“These individuals have reached the top of their sporting
profession through commitment to excellence, skill, determination and teamwork,
qualities that would be an asset to any business, just as they have been an
asset to their country from a sporting perspective.
“With a variety of leaders in the business industry
attending, key note addresses and Q&A sessions, it promises to be an
extremely productive day for all those in attendance.”
Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of the British Paralympic Association
said: “This event comes at an important time for Paralympians who are keen to
start exploring career opportunities outside of elite sport.
“We know that our athletes have succeeded at the very highest
level by having many of the key attributes which are highly sought after by
employers, and Athlete Futures is designed to inspire them to think more
broadly about their careers and help them make some excellent contacts in the
business world. We are pleased to be able to support this event and I hope our
athletes in attendance gain a huge amount from the experience.”