British Army goes for Gold

Homeland September 21, 2016

Army Elite Sport Programme launched

Olympian, and Solider, Major Heather Stanning, has helped launch a British Army programme, designed to discover and support new sporting talent.

With sensational Golds, won with partner Helen Glover at Rio 2016 and London 2012, Stanning was given special dispensation from the British Army to pursue an Olympic career in. Major Stanning is in the 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery but was on hand at the Army School of Physical Training in Aldershot where an extension of the AESP was announced.

The remarkable achievements of Major Stanning, as well as other athletes found in the GB Olympic and Paralympic teams, have highlighted the potential of UK Forces in a sporting arena. A recent contract between the Army Sport Control Board and the EIS to provide specialist strength and conditioning services is the latest example of targeted investment into supporting the Army’s rising sporting stars.

The Army Elite Sport Programme (AESP), a collaboration between the British Army, UK Sport, the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS), is hoping to uncover and develop more medal-winning British Olympians from within its ranks for Tokyo 2020 and beyond.

Major General Shaun Burley CB MBE, Director Army Sport Control Board, gave his firm backing to the initiative.

“The Army has traditionally been a great source of top sporting talent but the Army Elite Sport Programme and our new targeted investment in world-class high performance athlete support programmes will take this up a level and help produce Olympic stars of the future,” he said.

“The chance to represent Team GB at the Tokyo 2020 Games and beyond is a fantastic opportunity for our Army personnel.

“I am confident that our partnership with UK Sport, EIS and, more recently, TASS will provide us with the very best opportunity of producing Army Olympic medal-winning potential athletes to follow in the footsteps of Major Heather Stanning.”

Launched in Ocrtober 2014, the AESP draws on the extensive experience developed by UK Sport, EIS and sporting National Governing Bodies in the areas of talent identification, athlete development and ultimately delivery of medal-winning athletes.

EIS National Director Nigel Walker said: “The EIS is delighted to continue our partnership with the Army, UK Sport and TASS as we work together to deliver the Army Elite Sport Programme.

“The Army is undoubtedly a great source of sporting talent. As we saw with Heather Stanning’s fantastic gold medal success at Rio 2016, there is now a strong support network in place to identify, develop and support the Army’s Olympic stars of the future.

“The experience and expertise of EIS practitioners will allow the Army to enhance its performance pathways in order to find and develop more individuals with the potential to join World Class Performance Programmes and win medals at major championships across a range of sports.

“Through the Army Elite Sport Programme, I have no doubt that Army recruits will be on the podium in the years ahead – just as we saw with Heather in Brazil.”

The launch saw Army Athletes participate in a practical strength and conditioning class delivered by Michael Knott, who thanks to a recent signing of a formal contract between the Army Sport Control Board and the EIS, now provides specialist strength and conditioning services for Army Athletes in Aldershot.