Performance Sport

Athlete grant: £1000

Criteria: Athletes who currently compete at the highest level in their sport - an international or national representative level in a senior squad competing at the highest level of World/Olympic/Paralympic events or equivalent with a commitment to contributing to King’s Sport & Wellness.

Athlete grant: £500

Criteria: Athletes who currently compete or have recently competed at the highest level as an international or national representative athlete at a continental level for their country such as Junior World Championships, U23 World Championships, Senior European Championships or equivalent.

Student also may compete in the highest standards of BUCS or other national-level sports competition, with a commitment to contributing to King’s Sport & Wellness.

Criteria: Athletes who compete in the highest standards of BUCS, other national-level sports competition or equivalent, with a clear commitment to contributing to King’s Sport & Wellness and continue advancing personal performance.

At King's College London, our dedicated Strength and Conditioning (S&C) team works closely with our TASS and student-athletes to ensure they are physically prepared to meet the demands of elite sport. Our coaches deliver a tailored athletic development programme throughout an athlete’s time at King's, focusing on long-term progression, injury prevention, and peak performance.

Our S&C coaches bring a wealth of experience from a wide range of sports and athletic backgrounds, and many hold advanced postgraduate qualifications and industry accreditations, such as UKSCA certifications.

We support athletes across all levels, from emerging talent to world-class competitors, helping them to develop strength, speed, power, agility, and resilience — both in training and competition. S&C sessions are based at the King’s Sport & Wellness Waterloo Gym and our programmes are specifically designed to complement academic schedules and the demands of high-level sport.

We understand the unique challenges of balancing high-performance sport with academic excellence. Working in partnership with academic departments, the university offers:

• Lecture Capture Support: Assistance with accessing recorded lectures for athletes competing internationally.

• Assessment Flexibility: In cases of major sport and academic clashes, we can support applications for deadline extensions or alternative arrangements.

• Stretched Degree Pathways: For athletes competing at senior international level, we support applications for extended degree programmes to better manage sporting and academic demands.

Performance Nutrition focuses on how what you eat and drink impacts your training, performance, and overall wellbeing.

Our practitioners work with you to optimise fuelling for different training demands, support injury recovery, strengthen immunity, and manage body composition when needed.

Support can include:

• Personalised advice on fuelling for training, matches, and tournaments

• Injury prevention and recovery nutrition strategies

• Guidance on managing energy levels, recovery, and immunity

• Support around body composition goals (e.g., muscle gain, body fat management)

Our PDAL programme takes a personalised, reflective approach. Support typically includes one-to-one sessions with a trained Lifestyle Advisor, offering time and space to:

• Set goals and develop personal ambitions across sport, study, and wider life

• Plan academic and sporting commitments

• Develop time management and resilience skills

• Explore career aspirations and transitions beyond sport

• Reflect on personal development and wellbeing

• Access referrals for additional support when needed

All TASS athletes and King’s Sport & Wellness IPP athletes are eligible for support through PDAL.

We also offer tailored workshops and group sessions throughout the year on topics such as transition readiness, dual-career management, personal branding, and life after sport.

Our specialist Physiotherapy Team provides dedicated support to King’s community as well as all TASS and IPP athletes. Working closely with our strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionists, sport psychologists and athlete lifestyle advisors, we focus on helping athletes stay robust, recover quickly, and perform at their best throughout their time at King’s.

When injuries occur, our physiotherapists lead the management and rehabilitation process, working individually with staff, students and athletes. Rehabilitation sessions are delivered at the Waterloo Sport and Wellness Centre alongside using our dedicated Strength & Conditioning spaces and clinical environments, and we can provide support you need.

The mental side of performance is critical for success. We support athletes to develop psychological skills that enhance their ability to train and compete at their best. This includes developing strategies to overcome barriers such as low confidence, performance anxiety, and motivational challenges, but also proactively working on mental performance to build a competitive edge.

Psychological skills such as managing thoughts, emotions, and behaviours are treated with the same focus as physical and technical training, ensuring athletes are prepared to perform consistently and enjoy their sport.

At King’s, clean sport values are central to our philosophy. We provide education and workshops that align with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) to ensure our athletes understand their rights, responsibilities, and the importance of maintaining a clean sport environment from the start of their careers.

Access to 3 facilities at Strand, London Bridge and Waterloo.

For opening times, please refer to the dedicated page on our website here.

Drop into our Recovery Clinic at Waterloo throughout the year to support your body and mind between training, lectures, and competitions.

Athletes can access:

• Normatec recovery boots

• Pulseroll massage guns, vibrating foam rollers and peanut rollers

Whether it’s post-S&C, between lectures, or before a big match, take a break that boosts performance.

All IPP athletes will get access to IPP x KCL branded kit which might has previously included; rucksacks, winter jackets or training t-shirts.

We often run workshops all year round focusing on areas such as nutrition, sports psychology, careers, international travel, UKAD anti-doping workshops, and you can also become an accredited anti-doping ambassador.