Team GB Rowers Join Pioneering Athlete Mentoring Program
February 18, 2022
Five former and current Team GB (Great Britain) rowers are the latest to join the True Athlete Project’s (TAP) flagship Global Athlete Mentoring Programme. The programme matches aspiring 15-24-year-old athletes with world-class champions to develop skills beyond their sports performance, encompassing: Performance, Identity & Values, Mindfulness, Community Responsibility and Nature & Connectedness. In its pilot year, it received the World and Olympians' Partnership Award for social impact through sport.
TAP fosters a 'mentoring culture' that aims to inspire mentees and athletes alike across a multitude of sports and locations. Mentors are international Olympic, Paralympic and other elite senior athletes who take part in a nurturing, year-long relationship, exploring themes like mindfulness and athlete identity. GB rowers Vicky Thornley, Benjamin Pritchard, Ollie Cook, Alex Partridge and Stephen Feeney now join 72 other athletes, from a total of 34 sports and 10 countries.
"I'm delighted to have found this way of giving back to the local community and to have discovered yet another way in which sport can empower and improve people's lives," wrote Anna Ward, British Olympic fencer and TAP Mentor.
TAP's employs mindful training techniques as part of a practical, person-centered approach that "engage[s] sport as a powerful tool for self-mastery and increased overall awareness." The mentoring programme's goal is to "support the person behind the young athlete and prove that when the person flourishes, so does their sporting performance," shared Sam Parfitt, the CEO of TAP.
Olympic silver medallist Vicky Thornley will be mentoring 18-year-old Justine Sansom, a netball and lacrosse player, stating: “I decided to apply to be a part of this year’s TAP mentoring project as I am passionate about helping the next generation. I never had a formal mentor as a young athlete, but I can see how it would have really helped me in my early years, in terms of support, a sounding board and where appropriate some advice.
“Therefore, I want to provide that for someone else. I am also looking forward to learning from my mentee. She is a very driven and talented young woman, so I am very excited to be part of her journey this year.”
The overall process is two-fold, with the first concentrating on providing the mentors with training on the curriculum, communication and mentoring skills. The second part focuses on 1 to 1 sessions with the mentees, augmented by group workshops throughout the year.
2021 Beyond Sport Courageous Use of Sport Award presented by WWE winner, Souleyman Bah is a beneficiary of the program and a current TAP Mentee.