Athlete Health & Support

In this section we cover some of the many frequently asked questions regarding health and support for athletes.

UK Coaching Sudden Cardiac Arrest Toolkit

UK Coaching, has launched a free life-saving free digital learning toolkit, which will help you gain the knowledge and confidence to respond quickly and appropriately in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest. It has been funded by Sport England and developed in collaboration with Resuscitation Council, St John Ambulance and Joe Humphries Memorial Trust.

The toolkit includes:

  • practical information and advice
  • an immersive scenario-based eLearning course
  • a series of high impact and informative videos
  • insightful interviews and compelling written features with survivors, their coaches, and victims’ families
  • signposting to further support.

We encourage anyone involved in sport and physical activity – including coaches, personal trainers, club organisers, referees, volunteers, parents, participants and spectators – to access this life-saving learning.

Learn How To Save A Life

I am injured. Can Athletics NI provide me with physiotherapy support?

Athletics NI do not directly employ any sports medical support. Athletes on the Commonwealth or Olympic & Paralympic Potential programmes are provided with access to physiotherapy through the Sport NI Sports Institute (SNISI). All other athletes will need to make their own arrangements for treatment. While we do not endorse any specific practitioners, over the years many Northern Irish athletes have seen the following individuals and not reported any problems:

Running Safety Guidance

UK Athletics in cooperation with the Home Country Athletics Federations have published updated safety advice for runners and joggers as well as suggested guidance for non-runners.

The advice was refreshed following some high-profile cases of harassment of athletes training in public areas. Any abuse or threats against athletes whilst training are completely unacceptable, and the safety guidelines published are to support athletes, recreational runners and other sports people exercising in public to feel prepared for any eventuality.

Download the Running Safety Guidance