A new partnership between the University of Leeds and Olympic medallists the Brownlee brothers is set to help other athletes follow in their footsteps.
The University of Leeds Brownlee Brothers Partnership, launched today, aims to inspire junior triathletes and help develop the sport throughout the Yorkshire region.
Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, who are both alumni of the University of Leeds, attended the launch at the University and gave local schoolchildren the opportunity to ask questions about their sporting success. The children wanted to know what the brothers ate day-to-day and how they felt when they won their first medals.
Alistair Brownlee said: “We’ve introduced a new scholarship, the Brownlee Scholarship, so that a talented athlete can continue with their studies and also pursue a successful career in sports. We both really appreciated how the University of Leeds supported us during our time here, enabling us to juggle our education and training commitments, so we were able to enjoy the best of both worlds.”
Jonny added: “The idea behind the Partnership is to encourage young sporting talent and motivate a whole new generation of triathletes using the University’s fantastic sports facilities.”
Sir Alan Langlands, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds, said: “We are extremely proud of Alistair and Jonny’s achievements. I would like to thank them for their continuing support of the University’s sporting ambitions and for helping other athletes to achieve academic and sporting success.”
There will be three main strands to the Partnership:
- a new Brownlee Scholarship, which will see one talented student athlete awarded sporting, academic and financial support to help them pursue a career in sport
- building on the University’s current students’ abilities, allowing them to undertake triathlon training and placements in local schools, helping to train budding athletes
- regional triathlon training camps at the University, with top coaches putting junior athletes through their paces using the University’s world class training facilities.
Further information
For further information on The University of Leeds Brownlee Brothers Partnership visit: http://sport.leeds.ac.uk/page.asp?section=612§ionTitle=Brownlee+Partnership
Alistair graduated from the University of Leeds in 2009 with a BSc in Sports Science and Physiology. Jonathan graduated in 2012 with a BA in History. In 2013, the brothers both received Doctorate of Laws from the University. You can read more here http://www.leeds.ac.uk/info/30310/honorary_graduates/1958/alistair_and_jonathan_brownlee
The Partnership will be effective for an initial period of three years.
For further details please contact the media relations team on pressoffice@leeds.ac.uk, 07712 389448 or 0113 343 4031.