The Olympic Federation of Ireland has launched a new Team Ireland Athlete Support Initiative, sponsored by Flogas.
The scheme will see athletes benefit from additional support in education, mentorship opportunities and specific training access, in conjunction with key expert providers.
Flogas has committed an initial amount of €60,000 to the initiative. Applications are being sought from Olympians and pathway athletes for the available options by 31 January 2025.
Athletes can apply for funds, up to a value of €3,000, which can be applied for under three pillars. These pillars will form the key components for the Athletes’ Foundation which is in the final stages of completion.
Education grants are available for Olympians and pathway athletes to support further education and professional development. They can be accessed by both athletes still competing and those transitioning out of sport. This area is supported by the Sport Ireland Institute Life Skills team, successful applicants will have engaged with the Life Skills team at the Sport Ireland Institute in advance of completing the application form to ensure they receive expert guidance on course selection and career progression.
Mentorship and Life Coaching grants will be made available to a limited number of athletes who will benefit from access to a professional mentor or Life Coach who is positioned outside of the sports system. This course will be delivered by Declan O’Donoghue.
Public Speaking and Presentation Skills grants will be made available for athletes to assist with their personal storytelling and presentation when speaking in front of various stakeholders. This course will be delivered by Chris Cooke OLY.
“At Flogas we are proud to support this important initiative,” said CEO John Rooney.
“As the energy behind Team Ireland’s historic performance at the Summer Games in Paris 2024, we know just how important it is for athletes to prepare for the next stage in their lives and we are delighted to come on board with the Athlete Support Initiative to be part of that legacy.
“This initiative will be welcomed widely by athletes, and we are grateful to Flogas for their support,” added Olympic Federation of Ireland CEO Peter Sherrard.
“Post-Games athletes experience different challenges, and we are pleased to be able to offer Olympians and pathway Olympians the opportunity to avail of the various programmes.”
“We are delighted to be able, through Flogas, to support the great work that the Sport Ireland Institute Life Skills team already do with athletes, and we are also pleased to add courses in Life Skills, Mentorship and Public Speaking training also.”
SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE
Together with the Dare to believe programme, this is another example of how the duty of care from the Olympic Federation to the athletes is being lived all the way through. Performance is always the aspiration, not always the outcome and finding a way to bring athletes back to the real world after the intensity of top level sport is something which ireland is doing at the top of its game, with the support of commercial backers like PTSB and Flogas in these two instances
WHAT’S UP NEXT?
The course are open to application until January 31st 2025.
MEMBERSHIP
The Olympic Federation of Ireland and Flogas, as well as fellow supporters PTSB and Allianz are full members of the Sport for Business community
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