World champion Millie Knight: UKAD education vital part of Paralympic Winter Games preparation

Reigning World downhill skiing champion Millie Knight says education is a pivotal part of athletes’ preparations ahead of the Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang.

UKAD has completed 56 anti-doping education sessions as part of its Olympic and Paralympic Games education programme over the past nine months, reaching more than 150 Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes and their support personnel.  

In addition, UKAD has tested each of the 17 ParalympicsGB athletes competing at this month’s Winter Paralympics, as part of its risk-based, intelligence-led testing programme.

World gold medallist Knight, who made her Paralympic debut in Sochi aged just 15, said: “Clean sport is so important to us as athletes, and the UKAD education programme makes sure that we understand exactly what we need to do to protect it. The education sessions with UKAD are a key part of our pre-Games preparations and help strengthen our commitment to anti-doping.”

To ensure British athletes are fully prepared and aware of their anti-doping responsibilities at the Games, UKAD, in collaboration with the British Olympic Association (BOA), British Paralympic Association (BPA) and National Governing Bodies of sport (NGBs), commits to delivering pre-Games education in line with the Clean Games Policy launched in April 2017. 

ParalympicsGB’s Chef de Mission, Penny Briscoe OBE, said: “Everyone at ParalympicsGB is committed to clean sport, and education plays a vital role in this. It’s fantastic news, therefore, that all of the British athletes in contention for Pyeongchang have been through the UKAD anti-doping education programme.”

UKAD’s Head of Education and Athlete Support, Amanda Hudson, said: “We are delighted to have met our commitment of providing education for all British athletes competing at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

“Our education programme, “Clean Sport, Clean Games, Clean Conscience”, is a vital part of our prevention work at UKAD. We are committed to delivering a high-quality programme in collaboration with our partners to support both GB teams. 

“The introduction of the Clean Games Policy ensures that athletes and their support personnel are educated pre-Games and importantly have access to 24-hour support during the Games.

“We strongly believe our Clean Games education programme provides invaluable support to athletes and athlete support personnel, and is highly regarded both here in the UK and internationally.”

“Clean Sport” education sessions are the first tier of the programme and includes information on checking medications, supplement risks, and details on the testing procedure.

The subsequent “Clean Games” sessions focus on the Games-time anti-doping rules including the testing procedures, helping athletes to undertake their anti-doping responsibilities with confidence and recognise the inadvertent doping risks at the Games.

The Clean Sport and Clean Games sessions are just one part of UKAD’s extensive “100% Me” education programme for athletes, working with varying ages and abilities, from elite level athletes down to young children engaged in school sport.