Following Friday’s opening ceremony in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, the 2016 Olympic Games are fast underway, and it’s not just the coaches and elite athletes going for gold – from medics to masseurs and photographers to psychologists, teams of professionals are working behind the scenes to make the event a success and help competitors perform at their best.
The sports industry is worth £20bn a year in the UK alone and supports about 450,000 jobs, while in North America it is predicted to reach a value of $73.5bn (£56bn) by 2019. It is a global sector brimming with career opportunities. Whatever you choose to do, however, you must have a passion for the game.
“You just won’t make it if you don’t love sport,” explains sports broadcaster Gabby Logan. As there are many ways into the industry, it’s also important to speak to people doing the career you’re interested in. “Find out the route they took. You’ll often find that there is no set route and every person will have different career experiences that you can learn from.”
So if the Olympics are inspiring you to pursue a career in sport, join us on Wednesday 10 August from 1–2.30pm BST for a live chat with our expert panel. We’ll be discussing:
- Career options in the sports industry
- Best routes into the sector
- Cover letter, CV, interview and job application advice
The Q&A takes place in the comments section below this article. Taking part is easier than ever: create a free Guardian account or log in using your Twitter or Facebook profile to comment. Alternatively, you can tweet us @GuardianCareers or email your questions to charlotte.seager@theguardian.com who can post them for you.
Panel
Keith Elliott wrote weekly sports columns for The Independent for more than 20 years. He has worked in senior roles on The Times The Guardian and Today. He was chairman of PMA Media Training, Europe’s largest journalism training company, and is on the committee of the Sports Journalists’ Association.
John Brewer is professor of sports science at St Mary’s University, Twickenham and currently on the board of UK Anti-Doping. He has spent much of his career in industry, running his own sports science business at Lilleshall National Sports Centre before becoming director of sports science for GlaxoSmithKline. Brewer has chaired both British Handball (at the London 2012 Olympics) and British Skiing, and appears frequently in the media on matters relating to doping in sport.
Hannah Barrett is the head of fundraising at SportsAid, the charity responsible for supporting the next generation of British sport stars. Prior to working for SportsAid, Barrett looked after community and CSR activities within the Rugby Football Union and worked as a Sports Partnerships Specialist at Unicef.
Michael Harrop is a specialist physiotherapist working at Pure Sports Medicine in West London. He works with amateur to professional athletes and has a special interest in treating ultramarathon and long-distance runners.
Mark Kelly is head instructor for EBO Adventure. He is multi-qualified, experienced practitioner in both land and water sports, delivering coaching in many disciplines. In his role at EBO, Kelly oversees operations as well as delivering training in beach lifeguarding, coasteering, paddlesports, team building and bushcraft.
Dr Natalie Walker is head of the sport and exercise department at Birmingham City University. A chartered psychologist, Walker has worked for over 15 years in sports therapy and rehabilitation. Her area of expertise relates to the psychology of sports injury onset and psychological factors related to rehabilitation.
Lisa Norman is executive director of Benchmark Talent, a talent agency managing the long-term career development of sports personalities including Michael Johnson, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Will Greenwood, Carl Frampton and Barry McGuigan.
Dr John Kelly is programme director for sport and recreation management for the University of Edinburgh. Originally a carpet fitter, his academic career began by gaining three sports-related degrees. His latest book – The Routledge Handbook of Sport and Politics – is due to be published in October.
Tom Bromley is a sports scientist with MK Dons Football Club. He graduated from the University of Bedfordshire with a degree in Sports Science and Personal Training before becoming a sports scientist. He also works as part of the team carrying out medical examinations on the club’s new signings.
Dr Laura Barrett is a lecturer in exercise physiology at Loughborough University, she is an admissions tutor for their BSc sport and exercise science programme and undertakes research investigating the effects of exercise on the health of young people.
David Callan is communications manager at the Sport and Recreation Alliance. He has worked at various communications agencies over the last six years and specialises in digital communications.
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