BWL Foundation Awards 138 Fully Funded Coaching Scholarships

The British Weight Lifting (BWL) Foundation has announced 138 people have received a fully funded place on a British Weight Lifting (BWL) education course, as part of an initiative to develop coaches and grow the sport across the UK.

This scholarship scheme will support individuals from a range of backgrounds, with the aim of improving access to weightlifting. 

The motivation behind the applications varied, with nearly half of recipients seeking to upskill themselves to better support lifters they are already working with. Others expressed a desire to engage new audiences or establish weightlifting groups in their communities.

One recipient, now a CrossFit coach, reflected on their personal journey:

"I have lived in areas that have been deprived of most opportunities all my life. I grew up on a council estate and it wasn't a particularly safe place to be at any age, but the gym was the haven for me and many of my childhood friends. It was a rundown leisure centre that barely had more equipment than a home gym. I saw weightlifting during the Olympics and became obsessed, using anything I could find that resembled a barbell to imitate what I saw.

After a while, the gym shut down, and my mum didn't have the means to pay for a membership anywhere else. Now, I work in one of the most deprived areas in England as a CrossFit coach. As a weightlifting club, we offer kids’ weightlifting classes, and when I see these kids lifting, I think of 10-year-old me—how desperate I would have been to get this chance, and how badly I would have wanted to have a weightlifting coach guiding me. I understand there will be people in even less fortunate places than where I am, but little me would love to know he grew up to coach weightlifting to the highest standard, and so I have to try."

Among the successful applicants, 40% are young people under the age of 26, while 26% come from low socio-economic areas. A total of 64 clubs across the country will benefit from newly trained coaches, helping to expand opportunities for aspiring lifters nationwide.

Chair of the BWL Foundation Rebecca Wainwright said ‘our scheme marks a significant step in empowering individuals to share their passion for weightlifting and inspire the next generation of lifters. It is with great pride that we recognise these remarkable individuals who embody the aspirations of our Foundation’.