Member Article

Olympic stars set up Newcastle sports business

Two former Team GB Olympic athletes have launched a Newcastle-upon-Tyne sports company aimed at helping the next generation of sports stars from primary pupils through to University students.

Nathan French, 24 and Peter Bakare, 25 have been awarded a loan from Transmit Start-Ups to fund their new business Your Student Body, based in Northumbria University’s business start-up incubator unit. The money will be invested in the company’s website and marketing.

Peter Bakare, who as well as being a professional athlete, has worked for BBC Radio and spent two years scriptwriting for the BAFTA awarding-winning E4 drama Skins, said: “The combination of my writing skills and elite sports background together with Nathan’s sporting achievements give us a great base to launch Your Student Body. There is a growing demand for young people to become active and help tackle obesity as well as this there is also a need to support potential elite athletes. We can’t wait to get our first success stories.”

The two businessmen have already got support from the charitable arm of the national Costa brand, the Costa Foundation which is supporting their fitness and motivational work in Newcastle schools. In the long term the company wants to have athletes around the country encouraging pupils to perform to the best of their ability in whatever they are doing. While for athletes who aspire to be top flight there is a wealth of cost-saving and performance-enhancing information on their website, including how to attract sponsorship.

Richard Myers, director, Transmit Start-Ups said: “Your Student Body has expertise which is second to none. We are delighted to support Peter and Nathan as they are as dedicated to excellence in their business as they are in their sporting field. It is particularly exciting for us as their loan has helped us reach £3m loans and support for over 450 entrepreneurs throughout the country.”

In their sporting careers Nathan was a UK Schools Games Champion in 2007 and nominated for BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year, then in 2010 he was British Olympic Association Athlete of the Year, in celebration of his volleyball career.

Peter was a member of the Team GB volleyball team and then played professionally for two years in Hollands A League. Like Nathan he is now combining his businesses development with studying performance coaching at Northumbria University.

Further information is available on www.yourstudentbody.com and on business loans for new entrepreneurs, www.transmitstartups.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Transmit Start Ups .