welcome
Since 2016, the Sporting Champions scheme has supported more than 5,000 athletes by providing them with free access to Everyone Active's 230-plus leisure centres nationwide. They’ll also receive valuable group mentoring sessions throughout the year with our panel of Olympic and Paralympic Elite athletes, some of which competed at this years’ Games.
Now approaching its ninth year, the scheme will look to support more than 1,000 athletes for 2025-26, from grass-roots level to Olympians and Paralympians.
Applications for the Sporting Champions scheme 2025-26 will reopen in February 2024. Keep an eye on our social media and website for more details.
Our new elite athlete
Core member of the Team GB sprint relay team and BBC TV star, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey has joined as the newest member of our Elite Athletes.
Harry has won medals at each of the past three Commonwealth Games, including gold at Birmingham 2022 and Gold Coast 2018. Alongside being a popular face on a BBC TV sports gameshow, he is also a three-time gold medallist at the European Championships and won individual bronze in the 100m in the 2014 Europeans.
Harry is now helping to guide aspiring athletes in the community by sharing his experience and expertise at mentoring events and open days throughout the year. In September, Harry helped launch Everyone Active’s first Reformer studio, which hosts Pilates-based sessions.
Harry said
“I got plenty of power but not always the control to match, Reformer has been my secret weapon for that extra 10%! It gives you the strength to be a better person –in terms of being functionally fit and performing well. You might think it’s just for a certain type of person but actually it’s for everyone – whether you’re younger or older, male or female. It gives you more mobility, more strength, and it’s something I would implore everyone to go and try – come have a go!”
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2024
Our Sporting Champion’s influence in the local communities is stronger than ever. So far this year, we’ve had over 60 of our Sporting Champions and Elite athletes support at Everyone Active open days, charity challenges and community events across the three different regions.
Elite athlete Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and 9 other Sporting Champions hosted the Herts School Games with over 600 students from Hertfordshire
Sporting Champion and Para-swimmer Alfie Penfold presented at the Sussex Schools Parallel Youth Games
Sporting Champion and gymnast Ondine Achampong hosted a talk about her sporting journey and handed out awards at the Longdean School celebration
SPORTING CHAMPIONS MENTORING DAYS
This year, we hosted three mentoring days with over 400 of our Sporting Champions across the country.
London Aquatics Centre Mentoring Day – August 2024
We also hosted a mentoring day at the London Aquatics Centre, welcoming our athletes back from the Olympics and celebrating the start of the Paralympics.
Elite athletes Richard Kilty, Lutalo Muhammad, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and ambassador Colin Jackson shared their expertise on how to maximise opportunities beyond sport, bounce back from injuries and setbacks, media management and partnerships.
Watch an overview of the day
Middlesbrough Sports Village Mentoring day – May 2024
Back in May, we launched the new scheme with a mentoring day with Elite athlete Richard Kilty and industry professionals at Middlesbrough Sports Village, where they shared their advice and knowledge on topics such as strength and conditioning, what it takes to become a professional athlete and social media training.
Watch an overview of the day
Porchester Hall Mentoring Day – October 2024
Our final and biggest mentoring day of this year took place at Porchester Hall ahead of our annual awards ceremony, where our Elite athletes and industry professionals hosted workshops on strength and conditioning, nutrition and goal setting.
What do you want to see more of in our future mentoring sessions?
SPORTING CHAMPIONS AWARDS
This October we were joined by more than 220 guests - including aspiring athletes, Everyone Active colleagues and our partners from across the country - for our annual Sporting Champions Awards at Porchester Hall in London.
Hosted by Great Britain’s double world 110m hurdles champion and Sporting Champions Ambassador Colin Jackson, the event included an overview of the Sporting Champions scheme from the last year, a panel discussion between our Elite athletes sharing insightful knowledge and an awards ceremony to truly celebrate a year of sporting success.
Watch an overview of the day
For 2024, we introduced three brand new awards, including the Community Champion of the Year, Outstanding Achievement of the Year and the Local Authority Partner of the Year.
Congratulations to all the Sporting Champions who were shortlisted for an award this year, and to our amazing winners:
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Callie-Ann Warrington
National Champion of the Year
Ben Andrews – Regional Champion of the Year (South East)
Olivia Newman-Baronius
Regional Champion of the Year (East)
Mari Durward-Akhurst
Regional Champion of the Year (West)
Mylee Hedges
Young Champion of the Year
Elizabeth Cromwell
Community Champion of the Year
Camilla Cresswell
Social Media Champion of the Year
William Ellard
Outstanding Achievement of the Year
SPORTING CHAMPIONS AWARDS
The Local Authority Partner of the Year is a special award to celebrate the local authority partner that stood out for supporting us with the Sporting Champions scheme, including being involved in the applications process, utilising athletes at events and media opportunities and ensuring the athletes have the best possible experience whilst on the scheme.
This year’s winner was Westminster City Council, who have been very supportive of the Sporting Champions scheme since the beginning, getting to know the athletes in their area, including them in various events throughout the year and are always huge advocates of the incredible talent on the scheme.
Ian Bannister MCIMSPA, Relationship Officer – Sport, Westminster City Council said “It’s genuinely a great honour for Westminster City Council (WCC) to win the award and it is acknowledgment of how both WCC and Everyone Active work together to benefit and support our local athletes. I like to think that all of Westminster’s athletes know how much we’re invested in their sporting development.
Also, I can’t over-estimate just how beneficial the free EA membership has been to the development of our athletes, and I know from their feedback what a massive positive impact it has on their sporting successes.
On a personal level, I am very proud and feel very fortunate to be able to use both the Sporting Champions scheme and our Champions of the Future programme to try and help athletes reach their sporting potential.”
A big thank you to Westminster City Council and our shortlisted authority partners for their continued support!
This year we couldn’t just choose one of our fantastic centres to win, so we chose two - a huge congratulations to our Everyone Active Site of the Year award winners, Moulton Leisure Centre and Middlesbrough Sporting Village!
During this year’s scheme, our cohort of over 230 centres at Everyone Active have been more dedicated than ever to help our athletes reach their full potential through the free use of outstanding facilities, creating a community of support and hosting mentoring days, open days and community events with our Sporting Champions.
Andrew Joy, general manager at Moulton Leisure Centre, said: “The whole Moulton team are incredibly proud and delighted to have won this award and my thanks go to everyone at site for their hard work.
At site we closely work Maisie Summers-Newton, Eliza and Scarlett Humphrey and Ben Edwards, who sit amongst a host of talented athletes who come from a wide range of sports; Motorcycle Racing, Football, Swimming, Cycling and Triathlon.
“As a leisure provider working in partnership with West Northamptonshire Council, we feel it is important to cater for all sections of the community, and we hope to continue making a real difference to our athletes’ success.”
“The Sporting Champions scheme has been very successful in providing exceptional support to emerging talent and we were delighted to showcase this,” adds Paul Ayre, Everyone Active’s area contract manager across Middlesbrough.
“It’s fantastic to see how the scheme has expanded over the years, now providing more than 1,400 athletes nationwide with access to top-quality training facilities and support.”
A massive well done to our two award-winning sites for all their hard work and dedication to our athletes!
Olympics and Paralympics
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This summer, we were proud to support 26 Sporting Champions who competed in this years’ Olympics and Paralympics games, achieving 9 golds, 6 silvers and 8 bronze medals.
An incredible fourteen of these athletes made their debut at Paris 2024, coming home with a total of eleven medals between them.
CHAMPIONS SCHEME
Building on the success of our Sporting Champions scheme, we are excited to announce the launch of an expanded Everyone Active scheme, dedicated to celebrating the exceptional individuals within our communities.
Since its launch in 2016, we have supported thousands of athletes in their sporting journeys, from grassroots athletes to Olympic and Paralympic gold medal and world record success. These talented individuals represent the current and future greatness of British sport, and we’re proud to help them reach their full potential.
In addition to Sporting Champions and to grow our impact as a leisure provider on local communities nationwide, we are introducing a new initiative, Everyone Active Champions, which will encompass Sporting Champions along with two new strands.
Sporting Champions will continue to offer vital support to promising athletes on their journey to the highest level of competition, meanwhile, Community Champions will celebrate users of our centres who are either achieving great things personally or helping and supporting their local community through outreach programmes. In addition, Colleague Champions will recognise the outstanding dedication of our EA team members who go above and beyond.
Everyone Active Champions is about more than achievements – it’s about inspiring greatness in us all.
WHAT’S TO COME FOR 2025?
The new year will see Everyone Active commence the operation of Sheffield’s sports and leisure venues, including three centres of excellence. The contract will run from January 2025, including the English Institute of Sport (EISS), one of England’s seven high performance centres that provides facilities specifically designed for elite athletes. It’s also home to several National Governing Bodies and sporting organisations, as well as community gym and indoor athletics facilities.
Some of the country’s most successful athletes have trained at the venue, including former Olympic champion heptathlete, Jessica Ennis-Hill. The new partnership will further strengthen Everyone Active’s legacy in supporting elite sports and enhance its leading talent development scheme, Sporting Champions.
Applications for the Sporting Champions scheme will reopen in February 2025 for the 2025-2026 scheme, where we will look to support more than 1,000 athletes. Throughout the year, we will host multiple mentoring days with our Elite athletes and industry professionals across the regions. Keep an eye on our social media for more details!
MEDIA TRAINING WITH COLIN JACKSON
Why is it so important to know how to handle the media?
As an athlete, most of your career will be spent in the public eye. Whether you’re giving an interview or posting on your social media sites, it is important to know how to present yourself.
Colin Jackson’s top 10 tips:
1. Choose your outfit wisely - It is important, when presenting yourself, to dress appropriately for the occasion. Remember that patterns render oddly onscreen and distract the attention from what you’re saying, so when possible, wear plain, block colours and avoid any intricate patterns.
2. Practise your ‘Sound Bites’ - You know the topic of your interview so spend some time thinking about the key points you want to get across. Remember: even if you’re interviewed for 10 minutes, this may be edited down a minute or two. So, leave your comments short and sweet and developing sound bites that will leave the viewers associating you with your message.
3. Discuss questions with your interviewer - If it’s an option, contact the interviewer to discuss the questions beforehand. This will allow you to think about preparing some great answers and help you to give a brilliant interview.
4. Speak clearly - When you get excited or nervous it may be a natural tendency to speak quicker than normal. Take a deep breath, speak slowly and clearly so the interviewer so the audience can understand what you are saying.
5. Control your body language - You may be nervous on the lead-up to your interview, but work on ways not to let it show. Maintain eye contact with your interviewer and avoid glancing off set. Keep your hand gestures to a minimum and avoid nodding too much.
Presenting yourself well could be the difference between getting a great sponsorship deal or not, and is almost as important as how you perform as an athlete.
6. Practice ahead of time - It can make you more comfortable if you practice a faux interview beforehand, either with a friend, in front of the mirror or by videoing yourself. This can show you what you’ll look like to your audience and help you correct any issues.
7. Choose your listening face - This is really important but often overlooked. Try to remember to smile and look friendly. Don’t look bored or uninterested.
8. Forget your audience - If the idea of thousands – or millions – of people watching you on television will send you into a panic, don’t think about it. Instead, focus on the fact that this interview is all about you and the person interviewing you. You’ll feel less pressure to perform well if you ignore the rest.
9. Stick to subject matter - Don’t blabber on! It may be tempting to give a long-winded answer when you are under pressure but try to resist. Keep the answers concise and to the point without the urge to stray away from the question subject. Also, don’t give ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers.
10. Be confident! - If you’re particularly nervous before your interview or TV appearance, take some time to practice deep breathing techniques, or any techniques which will calm your nerves. Try not to put any extra pressure on yourself.
RECIPES BY CHRIS BABER
At our most recent mentoring event, celebrity chef, Chris Baber, shared his tips and tricks to ensure you get the best nutrient value from your diet as an athlete. Why not try one of his recipes below?
BLUEBERRY & BANANA OVERNIGHT OATS
Ingredients
• 100g oats
• 1 banana, sliced
• 100g frozen blueberries
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 heaped tbsp yoghurt
• 75ml milk
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 2 tsp chia seeds
• 1-2 tbsp peanut butter
1. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl, reserving a few blueberries and banana slices for decoration. Mix together. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk.
2. Cover or divide into individual serving jars. Store in the fridge overnight.
PROTEIN BALLS
Ingredients
• 75g pistachios
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 25g flaked almonds
• 75g dried apricots
1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat.
• 75g dried figs
• 75g tahini
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp honey
2. Add the sesame seeds and pistachios, toast for 2 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
3. Transfer the seeds and pistachios to a food processor, blitz to a chunky powder texture.
4. Reserve 1/5 of the mix.
3. To serve, top with blueberries and banana slices. Add more peanut butter and honey if desired.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor along with the ground pistachios and sesame.
6. Blitz until smooth and sticky.
7. Roll into balls and transfer to the fridge for 3 hours before serving.
TESTIMONIALS
“Balancing work, school, and swimming is tough. The Everyone Active Sporting Champions scheme has been a game-changer, offering flexible training hours and access to top-tier facilities like the London Aquatics Centre. This extra training time and experience in a longcourse pool were crucial in securing the fastest swim at this year’s school games.”
– Oliver Tom, age 17, Swimmer
“The Everyone Active scheme has been truly transformative in my personal and athletic growth. The state-of-the-art facilities and supportive community have helped me enhance my fitness and pursue my passion for cheerleading.
The Sporting Champions mentoring days have been instrumental in helping me develop new skills, gain insights from experienced professionals, and build a strong network of mentors and peers. The guidance and support I have received through these mentoring sessions have empowered me to overcome challenges and strive for excellence in my endeavours. I’m proud to now be working with ParaCheer International to promote inclusivity in cheerleading and inspire others to get active.
The scheme has been a cornerstone in my personal and professional development, offering me the tools, support, and recognition needed to achieve my goals and make meaningful contributions.”
Jemma
Davies, age 31, Cheerleader
