Speedo, the world’s leading swimwear brand, has become the first to take part in a pilot programme run by in the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and the East Midland Development Agency (EMDA) Business Champions Scheme to give local World Class athletes work experience in a world class business.

Athletes have a limited time to develop their long term career plans whilst training and competing at an elite international level. The EIS Performance Lifestyle Athlete Career Development Programme has opened up real work experience opportunities that not only benefits the athlete, but can provide organisations with motivated high achievers within their work force.

Proud to be part of a programme that can develop elite athletes Speedo President David Robinson said "As a high performing global organisation we recognise the qualities of world class athletes and believe we can help them transfer some of their high performing athletic skills into high performing business skills".

The athletes that will be joining Speedo for placements in February and March are Loughborough based Great Britain and England international hockey player Richard Smith and Olympic medallist, slalom canoeist Campbell Walsh based at Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham, the home of Speedo International.

Richard who started work in the Product Development department on February 9th said "This is a great opportunity to develop my skills as an elite athlete in a world class business environment. I hope to learn about the corporate world and that I can show Speedo that athletes have some great skills to bring to business"

Campbell, currently on a training camp in Australia, will start at Speedo in March and said "Speedo are giving me the chance to sample different areas of a high class business so that I can work out where my skills will transfer best into a corporate organisation."

James Glover, Performance Lifestyle Advisor at the EIS said "Working with EMDA has allowed us to access their Business Champions network and having Speedo on board has offered our local athletes a fantastic opportunity to experience a global company first hand.

Athletes have skills and qualities which are extremely attractive to potential employers for example, persistence, planning, organisation, motivation and communication skills to name just a few and we’re pleased that Speedo has recognised the qualities that elite athletes can bring into their corporate world.