Top British athletes are set to be among those supported by Kent’s sport and exercise specialists following our selection as a delivery site for the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS).
TASS is a world leading athlete support programme designed to help talented athletes balancing the demands of their sport and studies to be the best in both. Backed by Sport England, the TASS partnership brings together student athletes, education institutions and sports to support our country’s most exciting sporting talents.
As the only delivery site in Kent and Medway, Kent will support these athletes as many prepare for the forthcoming LA 2028 Olympic Games. Part of the funding for the 2025-2026 programme will see Kent hire a dedicated strength and conditioning coach as well as provide physiotherapy, nutrition, lifestyle, and psychology support for athletes at the top of their game.
The programme will run alongside Kent’s own Sports Scholarship Scheme which supports student athletes studying at Kent to continue their competitive engagement in sport while completing their academic studies.
Dr Julie Gooderick, TASS programme lead and Lecturer in Sports Rehabilitation, said: ‘This is a great opportunity for Kent to support some of the best athletes in the country and we are looking forward to welcoming TASS athletes to our campus. All staff involved in this programme are highly experienced in their field and will be developing bespoke programmes for these athletes. Furthermore, this will provide our Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation and Sports Science students with brilliant placement experiences and research opportunities, adding value and profile to our institution.’
Continuing Kent’s sporting legacy
Over its 60 year history, Kent has supported numerous talented athletes and fostered a community of specialists who are constantly finding new ways to increase our understanding of, and access to sport. We’re very proud of our sporting alumni, such as gold medallist Susannah Townsend, who made her international hockey debut in 2008 after studying Sport and Exercise Science at Kent, and Millie Knight, a former sports scholar, who has won several world titles and skied for Great Britain in the 2014 and 2021 Para-Olympics.
Our Canterbury campus also hosts one of the most extensive sports clinics in Kent equipped with an environmental chamber and low-gravity treadmill. From here, sports and exercise scientists work with professional athletes nationally to apply evidence-based approaches to enhance their performance, and work with sporting bodies, community groups and policymakers to tackle some of the most urgent issues in sport.