Olympic athletes team up with Bath Spa

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Olympic athletes team up with Bath Spa University to capture content for upcoming racing season

Tuesday, 28 November, 2023

Bath Spa University hosted 20 professional athletes across the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton teams for a media day at its Newton Park Campus last week.  

Utilising the University’s high-quality equipment and talented Film, TV and Digital Production students, Team GB joined forces with Bath Spa and spent the day shooting content to use across their social media channels as they gear up for the 2026 Olympics in Milan. Bringing a fresh energy into the studio, Bath Spa students worked on briefs in real-time, creating industry standard content. 

The students had the unique opportunity to work directly with leading athletes, using skills gained at university to create marketable content that the GB Teams will repurpose throughout their racing season and at the 2024 Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Championships. Not only did students gain invaluable experience that they can integrate into their CV’s post-university, but the day also provided a rare chance to network with the team’s social media leader.  

Asha Pantaleo, a second year Film, TV and Digital Production student at Bath Spa University reflected on the experience: 

“It’s great that the University provides us with opportunities to start our networking experience. You know you're getting something under your belt that you can put on your CV after graduation.” 

By working with people outside the University sphere, students were able to develop external relationships, learn how to effectively plan and shoot professional content, and practise managing client relationships. 

Lizzie Powell, Senior Lecturer in Film, TV and Digital Production and Course Leader of the University’s new Sports Media Production course, commented on the dynamic between the team and the students, saying: 

“It works well having the students working directly with the athletes. There's a really nice relationship between the young, elite athletes and our young creatives. The fact that the University can do this is amazing, it really helps them to refine their professionalism and creativity and helps to grow their confidence ahead of entering a real-world work environment.”    

She continued: 

“What's important is that our students get experience working with people outside of their course. And so, we try and offer as many opportunities as possible to bring people in - people they don't know, who are essentially clients. We want to get them used to dealing with people that they've never met before and practise moving them around the studio.” 

The GB Teams expressed how impressed they were with the University’s student creators and the staff that made it possible, even comparing the experience to that provided at the Olympics Games. 

Patrick Atkin, Skeleton Athlete and Social Media Leader said: 

“Some of the guys went to the Olympics two years ago and said that the experience they had here was on par, if not better than what they received there. The students are really passionate, and they bring new creative ideas to the process. The staff are just as fantastic. They’ve been really accommodating to us. “