UKA Athletes’ Commission

Formed in 2017 with the aim of ensuring athletes’ voices are heard by UK Athletics’ Performance Oversight Committee and the UK Athletics Board, the UK Athletics Athletes’ Commission, which was formally populated in August 2017, consists of 12 current and former British international athletes.

Meeting twice a year at the very minimum, the Commission provides a formal mechanism whereby the perspective and expertise of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s international athletes will be heard by the UKA hierarchy on the many initiatives and programmes operated by the National Governing Body.

Furthermore, the Commission will ensure that athletes possess a meaningful voice on important matters that are heard at Board level, in turn allowing the UKA Board to benefit from the perspective and expertise of international athletes in its deliberations and decision making. The commission will also be able to bring matters to the Performance Oversight Committee for discussion and recommendation.

Beyond the Commission members, athletes outside of the Commission can submit topics for discussion via athletescommission@britishathletics.org.uk

Election of Members

The first step of significance in populating the Commission was to invite nominations from athletes who have competed for British Athletics in the last six years, with this a key point of importance in being eligible to be elected.

Following the initial election of nine members onto the Commission, a further attempt to adhere to the minimum representation percentages – at least 33% of members to be: male and female; from able-bodied and Paralympic events; current international athletes (have competed for GBR in the last 12 months); at least 15% of members to be from non-Olympic or Paralympic events and ensuring that the make-up is representative of the British Athletics team in terms of BAME and that there is no more than two athletes from any one event – was made by way of an extension to the self-nomination deadline.

Four of these six minimum criteria were met, and the inaugural Commission members will look to identify routes by which all the criteria can be fulfilled in the future when meetings, with the Terms of Reference (available below) outlining that the Commission will meet twice a year at a minimum.

Each member will stand for an initial two year term of office, with the Commission Chair, Andrew Heyes, serving for an initial term of four years, as well as becoming a member of the UK Members as a representative of GB & NI international athletes.

The 12 members of the UK Athletics Athletes’ Commission:

Hetty Bartlett

Columba Blango

Ashley Bryant

Nathan Douglas

Joe Fuggle

Adam Gemili

Andrew Heyes – Commission Chair

Maria Lyle

Mhairi Maclennan

Shelayna Oskan-Clarke

Steph Twell

Vanessa Wallace

Ex-Officio Members

Paula Radcliffe

Libby Clegg

Kelly Sotherton

UKA Athletes’ Commission – Terms of Reference (updated 2020)