We are delighted that Professor Nick Webborn OBE, Chair of the British Paralympic Association (BPA), and the BPA, supported the British Inspiration Trust (BRIT) and our annual BRIT Challenge.
Nick is one of the United Kingdom's leading sports medicine specialists with over 25 years experience in the area. He established the Sportswise clinic in 1997, whilst working as the Medical Adviser to the National Sports Medicine Institute and has seen it grow and evolve over that time into the first-class facility it is today. He has a huge range of sporting expertise in many sports; particularly football, swimming, tennis and athletics.
Nick is a world-leading expert in the area of Paralympic sport and was Chief Medical Officer for the London 2012 Paralympics and for the Invictus games. He helped develop the winning bid for the London 2012 games and was then involved in the strategic planning and delivery of the Olympics and Paralympic games healthcare. In 2016, Nick was awarded an OBE in the Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to Paralympic Sports Medicine and the British Paralympic Association. In February 2017, Nick was elected as Chair of the British Paralympic Association and apart from the day to day work as Chair between Paralympic Games, he will also attend future Paralympic Games as President/Head of Delegation for the British Paralympic team.
We are also sincerely grateful to Anna Scott-Marshall, Director of Communications at the BPA, for all her support.
Nck said;
“I applaud the British Inspiration Trust (BRIT) and their vision to both support and improve young adult mental health and fitness by delivering inclusive annual UK-wide BRIT Challenges. The inspiration they provide to young adults and students is by inviting British Sporting Icons to join their BRIT Ambassador family. These BRIT Ambassadors are current and retired Olympians, Paralympians, Sporting Icons, Adventurers and Explorers; many of whom have first-hand knowledge and experience of mental health challenges. BRIT are keen to ensure that their Ambassadors have access to information and support should they themselves need help. I am delighted to offer my advice and explore ways in which BRIT can introduce these inspirational figures to existing networks and Sporting Governing Bodies that they may have lost contact with. It is worthy of note that BRIT are determined to secure funding so that retired Paralympians are employed to coordinate their Ambassador Family. I am delighted that the BPA is able to support this extraordinary initiative. We have all come to realise the importance of mental health over the last months, and so the timing of the BRIT 2021 Challenge is particularly relevant. May I offer my thanks to all the ambassadors and best wishes to all that BRIT serve through its work.” Professor Nick Webborn OBE MB BS FFSEM FACSM FISM MSc Dip Sports Med Chair of The British Paralympic Association and Clinical Professor (Sport & Exercise Medicine) Centre for Sport and Exercise Science and Medicine (SESAME)
BRIT Ambassadors identify a university and/or college of their choice (that they attended, have links with or live near to) and support their annual BRIT Challenge efforts.
If they were unable to visit the university or college of their choice due to COVID-19 restrictions, we encouraged our BRIT Ambassadors to record a video message and support students on social media.
We hope that our BRIT Ambassadors will be able to visit universities and colleges during the next annual BRIT Challenge that will take place during the month of February 2022.
BRIT Ambassadors also support us through either their own social media accounts and/or in the national and regional media with quotes of support that champion the annual BRIT Challenge. Often this is coordinated by the university or college to bring greater awareness to our campaign and raise awareness of young adult mental health and wellbeing.
There are 450 universities and colleges in the UK and our aspiration is to deliver inspiration to the young adults, students and staff at every institution that participates in our annual BRIT Challenge.
Thank you to all the current and retired Olympians, Paralympians, Sports Personalities, Adventurers and Explorers who are joining our BRIT Ambassador family and uniting to support and improve young adult mental health and fitness throughout the UK.
We wish every Paralympics GB athlete the very best of luck at the forthcoming Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
To follow the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic team, they are on Twitter @ParalympicsGB and on Instagram @paralympicsgb_official