Northumbria University Student Sport President Kerry-Anne Hastings and Director of Sport Colin Stromsoy are throwing their full support behind UK Anti-Doping’s second Clean Sport Week which launches today.
This year’s campaign, which will again have the support of a range of National Governing Bodies (NGBs), sports organisations and UK sports stars, will celebrate clean athletes and their success and promote the work of the anti-doping community in the fight for clean sport.
The campaign will also have a strong focus on supplement use and the image enhancing culture in the UK with new research set to be revealed this week to encourage a wider public debate on the issue.
Northumbria University continues to advise athletes on the dangers of doping and operates a strict policy around the illicit use of drugs.
Hastings said: “At Northumbria we have instilled a winning culture. But we want to win fairly. There is no place for drugs within university sport just as there is no place for doping in sport at any level.”
Stromsoy added: “At Northumbria we pride ourselves in playing fair. Doping is a kick in the teeth for every clean student athlete who dedicates so much time and energy in the pursuit of excellence in their chosen sport. It must be stopped across the board.
“It is imperative that all of us in positions of responsibility must do all we can to ensure fair competition that is doping free.”
A number of events will take place between May 21-27 to help raise awareness of clean sport and anti-doping programmes led by UKAD, NGBs and sporting bodies across the UK. The campaign will also feature social media videos from a number of UK athletes showing their support for clean sport through a series called Feat of Strength.
Nicole Sapstead, UKAD’s Chief Executive, said: “Our education programme is a vital part of our prevention work at UKAD. We are committed to delivering a high-quality programme in collaboration with our partners.
“Clean Sport Week provides the perfect platform for sports in the UK to come together and showcase the fantastic work going on from grassroots to elite level.
“At the same time we believe there is also a vital public debate that needs to take place around the growing supplement culture in the UK and this years’ campaign will aim to do this. This has the potential to be a serious public health issue impacting on wider society and we want to look at where people are obtaining their products, how aware they are of what is in them and the potential long-term effects of using them."
UKAD and its partners are supporting athletes from grassroots to elite level through one of the world’s most extensive education and intelligence-led testing programmes. It has 30 national trainers who deliver clean sport education, more than 200 doping control personnel, who work as part of the sample collection process, and more than 2,300 accredited advisors around the UK.
The organisation provides and supports a range of educational, anti-doping and clean sport resources to help athletes at all levels – including its 100% Me programme.
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