July 2017| 131
“Likewise, we are working with Oaklands, an academy
for Further Education students. Any student who wants
to pursue cycling and wants an education orientated
towards cycling can now start that at 16 – they can
study for two years with Oaklands at Level 3, then join us
for two years on a Foundation Degree and then top up
to a BSc ons degree. They have five years in total of
studying and pursuing cycling.
Writtle niversity College is fast-becoming a hub for
cycling. We already hold cyclocross education events
here; we’ve had British Cycling here for their Level 1
coaching courses; and we’ve got good links with the
British cycling officers, the local coaches, team owners
and professional cyclists. I hope that we produce
graduates that find careers in the cycling industry in
whatever capacity that might be: a professional cyclist
winning national titles or at elite level, but also, equally,
it would be good to have graduates who become elite
coaches, leaders in retail or product development,
involved in revolutionising bike manufacturing, promoting
cycling in their area, changing attitudes of local
authorities in town planning, or working with charities to
share the benefits of cycling. The key is that your ability
as a cyclist doesn’t matter. Our view is that individuals
can bring a variety of different skills to the course they
might have fantastic people skills that makes them great
coaches – but we will support them with that and provide
the educational foundation and industry links they need
for a rewarding and successful career.”
“I think the academy is a great way of bringing the
students from the Cycling Performance Foundation
egree together with Team On orm. The partnership
gives us all great opportunities to establish contacts
within the sport, such as people working in the trade,
or teams and riders abroad. Through the course, have
been lucky enough to live in France with another member
of the Cycling Performance Degree to gain racing
experience on the continent. This has helped me gain
a vast amount of racing skills as the style of racing in
urope differs from that in the
.
Through contacts we have made through the course,
we have all had the opportunity to meet and get in touch
with all sorts of professionals, ranging from British elite
team managers and elite cyclists, to people working in
the sales industry and even charity workers. The course
enables us to train and race while we study and the
sports science side teaches us valuable skills that we can
use, not only when coaching ourselves, but they also set a
solid grounding for the skills needed to become a sports
coach.”
GRÁINNE HANLEY
r inne anley, , from r