GB Olympic Gold Medallist Steven Burke joins the Elite Team at Burnley College

Burnley College is proud to announce that Olympic hero Steven Burke – one of Great Britain’s top cyclists – has joined its award-winning sports and fitness team as an elite cycling coach.

The Pendle cyclist, who claimed Gold with his fellow GB cyclists in both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, will be:

• Sharing his talent with Burnley College Sixth Form Centre students in an elite cycling academy, running alongside their academic studies, to help them reach their full potential in this competitive sport and follow in Steven’s footsteps
• Leading a ‘Cycling with Steven Burke’ eight-week evening programme, open to the public to improve their performance and achieve their cycling goals through a professional training programme including strength and conditioning tuition.
• Offering one-to-one cycling training, as well as advice on developing the mindset for success and team building, to those individuals or businesses looking for an exclusive experience.

Steven was awarded an MBE for his services to cycling and has a Pendle cycle track named after him, as well as a golden post box installed in his honour in his home town of Colne and golden gates at his former primary school. Over a 14-year career he has travelled the world, achieving success in both track and pursuit cycling events before announcing his retirement from competitive cycling last year.

He said:

“I’m really excited about joining the talented team at Burnley College and working with their amazing students, developing their talent and supporting them to reach the next level of cycling performance.

“The students I’ve already seen certainly share that determination to be the best; that commitment and that positive mindset which can make them gold medallists.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the very best sports scientists and coaches over my career. I’m hoping to use that experience to help other keen cyclists – who may be passionate about their hobby or want to improve their performance – through individual training and the Cycling With Steven Burke programme.

“However, my training will not solely be focussed on getting on two wheels and cycling. There’s so much more behind elite success, including strength and conditioning training, nutrition, learning about the need to rest, targeted training and mental preparation.”

Manager of the Elite Athlete programme Ashley Alderson added:

“We’re excited to welcome Steven to the Burnley College family and our team of sports and fitness professionals.

As the Number 1 College in England*, we share many of the amazing attributes which have led him to reach the very top of his sport: determination, commitment, focus and resilience. These qualities are clearly shown by our Elite Athletes who are already competing at regional, national and international levels within their chosen sports and this year we have more than 50 students – on A Level and Vocational courses – who are taking advantage of professional strength and conditioning training; nutritional advice; the latest fitness testing technology; sports psychology and physiotherapy.

With Steven’s support, I am confident that we will see Burnley College students taking their place on the podium at future Olympic Games and consolidating our position as a centre of sporting excellence in the UK.”

Are you passionate about cycling and looking for a College which can help your vision of sporting success become your reality after GCSEs? Are you a keen cyclist who wants to take your hobby to the next level with professional performance training from an Olympian? Are you an employer or individual keen to tap into the gold medal mentality and see results in all aspects of your life and business? To find out more about how Steven works with our Elite Athletes or to join him on one of his evening or team building programmes, contact 01282 733180 or [email protected]

*In the latest official Government league tables for student achievement aged 16-18.