鈥淪tanding on the podium is a moment that I鈥檒l cherish forever,鈥 says Tom Dean, mechanical engineering student and double Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer. 鈥淚t鈥檚 what I鈥檝e been working towards for 15 years. It felt like a dream.鈥
Tom triggered at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, winning the 200m freestyle and men鈥檚 4 x 200m relay. He鈥檚 been supported by a Bill Whiteley Sports Scholarship since 2018, which he describes as being 鈥榠nvaluable鈥.
鈥淚 train six days a week, making it impossible to work part-time, so the financial aid takes huge pressure off me. It鈥檚 amazing that donors are willing to help athletes at the start of their career, when they need it the most.鈥
From nutrition and equipment, to competition fees and travel 鈥 the cost of becoming a world-class contender is a challenge for many. At Bath, we have a proud history of supporting student-athletes to achieve their full potential.
We were the first UK university to offer sports scholarships in 1976; the alumni-supported Elite Athlete Fund provides grants for international competitions; and our Dual Career Programme offers a package of support for balancing studies and sport.
Tom adds:
鈥淜nowing that support network is there, all the services that the University offers, gave me a great deal of confidence and allowed me to focus purely on becoming the best performer I can be.鈥
The triumphs at Tokyo didn鈥檛 stop there for our sports scholars. Swimmers Anna Hopkin (Thompson Educational Trust Scholar) and Calum Jarvis (ITC Scholar) also won Olympic gold, as did modern pentathlete Joe Choong (Ivor Powell Scholar).
Our sports scholars work so hard to represent their country on the greatest stage of all. Thank you for being among their biggest supporters.
