Callum Skinner partners with Anti-Doping Sample Collection Manufacturer InnoVero to “make a real difference” to clean sport

Rio 2016 Olympic Champion, Callum Skinner, has today announced a partnership with the global Anti-Doping Sample Collection Manufacturer, InnoVero. 

The partnership is announced hot on the heels of the recent news that InnoVero had become the first ever anti-doping sample collection manufacturer to earn independent certification from NSF International for its innovative, athlete-centric range of collection kit. 

With InnoVero’s rapid growth on the international market - with a roster of global clients that grows daily, including the United States Anti-Doping Agency, UFC and MLB, along with anti-doping organizations located in Africa, Asia and Europe - Skinner, who will assume the title of Athlete Engagement Advisor, will help the manufacturer further grow its global brand.  

Under the partnership, the former Team GB Olympic Gold and Silver Medalist will help further develop InnoVero’s fast-growing business, particularly in raising the profile of InnoVero’s athlete-first brand and highlighting InnoVero’s technologically advanced, superior sample collection equipment design to National Anti-Doping Organizations, International Federations and other stakeholders. 

Skinner, who is also a member of the British Olympic Association’s (BOA) Athlete Commission and UK Anti-Doping’s (UKAD) Athlete Commission, said: “As someone that follows the clean sport cause closely, I have long been aware of InnoVero’s market-leading position of engaging athletes in all stages of its work – from product concept to development to delivery. The kit that is used to collect urine and blood samples must, above all else, have the backing of athletes; it must secure our trust if the system is to uphold credibility. 

“With InnoVero becoming the first anti-doping equipment manufacturer to be awarded the NSF Certification earlier this month, now felt like the perfect time to partner with this growing brand – and help make a real difference to clean sport. Substandard testing kits have failed athletes in the past, and so InnoVero was born from those market failures with an innovative, NSF certified solution that athletes and all stakeholders want and deserve. ” he added.

The Executive Director of InnoVero, Gabe Baida, said: “To have Callum partner with us to help us continue our international growth is an exciting step in our young company’s journey. 

“Since the start [of InnoVero], we have always maintained that we have to engage athletes and incorporate their feedback into our equipment and operations if we as a company, and anti-doping as a movement, is to uphold confidence. That includes being held accountable every step of the way, and so it is great to have someone of Callum’s calibre - someone that has his finger on the pulse of athlete opinion - with us on our journey.”

For more information on InnoVero, visit: https://www.innoveroglobal.com/

The True Meaning of This Photo

Yesterday marked the second anniversary of my final race where I won Bronze. From the outside, it might have looked like a perfect way to sign off my career, almost as if it was planned. On reflection, it seemed perfect. I had been off the pace for the two seasons following the Olympics. I was competing for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games; this was how my career began so it would be a symbolic way to bow out. Whatsmore, I had never won a commonwealth games medal, a major career goal. 

The truth is that it wasn't planned at all.

I was selected to ride three events at the games. In the end, I only rode two. After the first event, I found my self in a severely compromised mental state, colloquially referred to as a “breakdown". I had been battling with depression since the Olympic Games in 2016. After the first event, the dam burst, and I was withdrawn from the next two days of competition. My coach covered for me speaking to the media and others he said that I had come down with a stomach bug. I was desperate not to have my secret exposed, not to appear "mentally weak". I was offered emergency medication, but I refused with the faint hope of getting back to fitness for the final event of the games, in retrospect the last race of my career.

After two days rest and support from my medical team and family, I felt as if I could compete. My thinking was relatively simplistic; the final event was the Kilo, a single time trial, four laps of the track. Then I'd be done, at least for a while, I could take my medication and slip into mindless post games parties with plenty of escapism and alcohol. 

In the end, I performed well enough to earn a bronze medal, the hardest race of my life. In the photo above I have realised that I'm guaranteed a medal of some colour. I was hoping this would bring some relief, momentary happiness. It didn't, I was still profoundly distressed and exhausted behind that visor. Solace did come in the realisation that this ordeal was over, I could get treatment, hold it together for the medal ceremony then disappear. 

Through my recovery, I've now started to associate more positive feelings about that memory. Taking pride in my resolve and mental strength to push on. Satisfaction in achieving some career goals and hanging up my wheels at a symbolic time. Most importantly was the love and support I felt from those who cared for me. My family, teammates, friends and coaches unconditionally rallied round me in my time of need and continued to support what would be a further rocky year and a half towards recovery.

I might be rock bottom in this photo, but now I look upon it positively, its when I started to get better. 

My sporting hero: Callum Skinner on Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps might be seen as an unimaginative pick. But ever since I became interested in the Olympic Games he has been a towering figure to me, I guess in the same way many football fans would look upon Lionel Messi.

He is the greatest swimmer of all time and, with 23 gold medals, the most successful Olympian in history. But the medals and success are only part of his story. It's his work away from the pool that really sparked my admiration for him.

Many athletes' accomplishments give them a platform, an opportunity to be a force for good. Michael's feats have afforded him a fantastic stage and the way he has used that to drive change has been mightily impressive. He is passionate about issues very close to my heart.

At the London Olympics in 2012, he won four gold medals, taking his tally of those across three Games to 18. He was on top of the world in a sporting sense, but after that he quit and said he wanted nothing more to do with swimming.

He later revealed he had suffered from depression after London. Many athletes have spoken in recent years about their mental health issues and he was one of the first really high-profile athletes to do so publicly.

He's been pretty open about saying he considered suicide, that he had fallen off the rails after multiple Olympics. 

I find a lot of resonance in that. I found myself in a very dark place after Rio 2016. Thankfully, and partly due to the work Michael had done in breaking down barriers, I felt as if it was OK to ask for help and I got better.

When I stepped away from cycling last year, I felt safer speaking out about my own mental health issues knowing Michael had walked that road ahead of me. It feels like he's taken a bit of a burden for everyone else.

What he's done is help defuse the situation by saying the world's most successful athlete has struggled and is not immune to mental ill-health. It gives a lot of breathing space to everyone else because you're then not being viewed in a prism of being weak or of not trying or of being lazy. 

It validates mental health among athletes as being a legitimate concern which merits attention.

Given the circumstances he had been faced with, to go back into that situation of competing at Olympic Games, knowing you are likely to find yourself in that dark place again, it just shows the magnitude of the man. 

He was prepared to push on through and go through that whole cycle again and delivered a further five golds at Rio 2016 having come back out of retirement.

It wasn't something I was prepared to do - I'm not necessarily sure it's something that's wise to do - but he endured it and managed to push through. Probably one of his strongest athletic qualities is that mental endurance but it's quite mind-boggling to think someone would continue to push on through given those circumstances.

He's provided such a great case study and such a personable life message to so many people that success doesn't always bring happiness. More than just being the most successful Olympian of all time, to me what he's been most valuable for in terms of a societal shift is showing that even the world's best can have issues.

'He made me realise you can have worth away from sport'

I also really admire how strong and vocal Michael has been on the subject of anti-doping in sport, something I'm also really passionate about. He's been ahead of the curve on a lot of this stuff. He famously said that he doesn't think he's raced in an event where there hasn't been at least one person cheating.

I think he understands the responsibility that he has to sport. It's given him a lot, it's given me a lot and we have quite similar motives as to why and how we want to see it improved in the future. 

We don't want to see the anti-doping system called into question, but unless the governing bodies get a grip of it and put the athletes first - which is what we're all calling for - then little is likely to change.

One of the great things Michael did for me was made me realise that you can have worth as an athlete not just for the results you get in sport but for the work you do after retirement. You can become more well known as someone who can change the face of mental health or help make sport a fairer place, which is what I'm striving for now.

That's the kind of thing that Michael started to do. He realised he'd gained that platform and started to carve out a career that was worthwhile in pursuing these really tough societal issues. 

He's there sharing a story from a place of vulnerability and that's something sport and society needs to get a lot better at, especially when it comes to men.

Callum Skinner was talking to BBC Scotland's Andy Burke.

Athlete Pay and Conditions Must be Overhauled

This week, athletes have written to Team GB criticising their antiquated rules regarding athlete income, whatsmore, the Dr Freeman case continues its dramatic twists and turns in what has been a near 3-year scandal. What has gone wrong with British Elite sport? The truth is the entire system needs to be overhauled.

Through some of the most successful times British Sport has ever witnessed, no-one has benefitted more than management. In British Cycling, some management allegedly take home a pay packet six to ten times more than some Olympic and Paralympic champions. Whilst due to British Olympic Association rules, these very athletes can essentially become sponsor-less during the Olympic Games – that’s if their national governing body allows them to have sponsors in the first place. Management fiercely defend their inflated salaries (six-figures in some cases, pensions and employee rights and protections) yet turn blind eyes to the obtuse contrast that athletes share none of these benefits. Athletes are eternally grateful for the funding received, the argument here isn’t about being grateful - it’s about fair distribution of the funding available and protecting athletes from abuse and inequality. 

When athletes in the UK first began turning full-time in 1997 as a result of Lottery funding, the system worked well. Results turned from a single gold medal in 1996 to 29 in 2012, a meteoric ascendancy. Athletes were older, university/trade-educated, and were paid and treated as equals to management. Now, athletes are younger (turning full-time at 17 years old) and sometimes that youth has brought naivety - this is a demographic that has been exploited.

Jess Varnish has been very active in seeking to improve the situation for athletes. She is appealing the case she recently lost against UK Sport and British Cycling to be recognised as an employee. Why support Jess Varnish’s case where she was seeking employee status in the face of sex discrimination? Initially, I didn’t. I was happy to get behind UK Sport’s “culture reforms”. I believed it was a case of a few toxic individuals ruining what was otherwise an adequate system. My own and as yet unpublicised experiences have changed that opinion.  

The truth is that Jess’ case mainly centres around the “Athlete Agreement”, a lengthy document I was once told to “sign or don’t bother showing up to training tomorrow”. Around 1,000 athletes in the UK are subject to the same or similar “agreement”, leaving them with no real protection as it stands. For example, management know that they have full discretion to dismiss any athlete. At British Cycling, this is “ordinarily” with 3 months notice and 3 months transitional funding “may” be offered. Frustratingly, you’ll find plenty of examples of discretionary terms - an effective gagging order on any disgruntled former athlete considering speaking out. 

I’m one of the few athletes who has a good understanding of the contract, and someone that athletes often reach out to when they want to learn more about their rights. Despairingly for me, my advice is limited to that of our “union”. Contractually you don’t have a leg to stand on – in fact, I’m unaware of an appeal ever being successful. Words formed, regrettably, through experience. Our “union”, the British Athletes Commission (BAC) is principally funded by UK Sport. As much as I believe BAC does a lot of positive work, imagine your union being funded by your employer. How effectual do you think it would be? 

A good case study of the issue that athletes face is the British Cycling Performance Management team. Male, middle-aged and predominately non-cyclists, only one of whom has been an athlete in the UK Sport system. In comparison, the team is young, diverse and many have physical disabilities. See the discrepancy? Contractually athletes are obliged to share information regarding pregnancies, physical or mental illnesses or tragic family events with management. Consider being a 17-year-old athlete with an unexpected pregnancy being contractually obligated to share that information with a group of middle-aged men with a questionable history of respecting athlete confidentiality. There is no performance justification for this obligation. If you refuse, to quote the athlete agreement, “it may be considered as a factor in relation to selection for team representations”.

In organisations across the board the castle has grown too high. The result is a system that most of the time works well, but sometimes leaves athletes including myself close to the edge and others out of pocket. This isn’t just a case for better athlete welfare and pay. Primarily, we need a change in the name of performance. A bloated, single-minded management system and legal defence of endless scandals costs money and breeds incompetence. They'll argue that they can't afford to improve athlete pay and conditions. Consider how much money we could save in reforming top-heavy management and ending costly legal battles if they did? 

Long-term ambition has been replaced by managing one scandal after the next (most of which are avoidable) and individuals obsessing over advancing up the career ladder. What used to be a 10-year cycle has become a 4-year if not a month-by-month cycle at best.

If Jess Varnish wins her appeal and athletes become recognised as employees, it’ll force substantive positive change. No more warm words, no more disingenuous rhetoric. The best way we can celebrate our athletes’ incredible Paralympic and Olympic success is to give them a fair cut of the available funding, the right to capitalise on sponsorship and employee protections. This is not alien to the world of sport, professional team athletes have long had these rights. 

Our athletes deserve better in 2019; a contract that doesn’t invade their privacy, provides a degree of security, one that defends the employee against discrimination, bullying and unfair dismissal as in any other workplace. The system has lost it’s way and fault lies at the top. Employee status will continue the gold rush, whilst crucially leaving fewer casualties along the way - It’s high time for change.

"Cycling has been very good to me” – Olympic Champion Callum Skinner steps away from the track.

Today, I would like to announce I am calling time on my Elite Cycling career. It’s been a long and amazing journey, starting out in the cold of Meadowbank, Edinburgh in 2006 to peaking at the Olympic Velodrome in the Team Sprint at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016. Cycling has been very good to me, I’ve made lifelong friends and realised my dream for which I am eternally privileged. I appreciate that 26 might seem to many quite young to be transitioning away from the track, but I have never considered myself just an athlete; I consider myself far more than that. Cycling is my first love and it was the ideal place with the perfect opportunities to focus my drive to achieve great things. Now, on 7/3/19, I’m looking for a new challenge, my next Olympics. I want to build on the skills and perspective I’ve learnt and gained as a competitor over the last few years, and go on to greater things. As some of you will know, I’m particularly passionate about giving back to sport, using my profile for good, whether that’s in supporting the long overdue reform of sports governance, LGBT rights and encouraging people to get on their bikes.

My last competition and podium place was at the Commonwealth Games in The Gold Coast in 2018; it was great to finish on a high. Since that time, I have been on an extended break due to my health deteriorating. This has proved to be a very challenging time. Through seeking help outside the programme, and by the unswerving support of my girlfriend, friends, family and agent, I have made incredible progress and I’m pleased to say have almost fully recovered.

Overall, I have had an amazing time at British Cycling and would like to thank my current and former; coaches, performance support staff and team mates for an amazing and unforgettable ten years. I wish them every success going forward.

Callum Skinner and his Mum, Judith Crichton.

Love Velo Holidays

Love Velo have offered my followers 10% off any cycling holiday booked during November. Just quote 'CallumGold' when you enquire"  Twitter @LoveVelo #TravelByBike

Take your training from amateur to professional.

Callum Skinner knows how to get into winning form – what with two Olympic medals and a gold in a UCI Track Cycling World Cup to his name in 2016 alone.

And luckily for you we had a chance to sit down with Callum and get his best training tips for all you eager cyclists to help you raise your game.

1. Plan your training sessions into your week

Rushing, stressing and cutting training sessions short due to poor planning obviously isn't ideal. This one seems simple but it can be easily overlooked if you have a busy lifestyle. Plan at least one week in advance and take on a manageable work load.

2. Don’t be afraid of resting

Rest can be just as important as training. If you’ve planned a day off or an easy one hour coffee ride stick to it.

3. Get a massage

Equipment is not the only place you should put your money. Consider sports massage, coaching and professional bike fitting. You’ll probably get more bang for your buck than saving a few grams on your equipment.

4. Try training off the clock

Cycling is one of the most measurable sports out there and as a result it’s easy to get lost. If you are getting bogged down or disheartened by bad numbers, lock up the stopwatch or turn off the Garmin for a week.

5. Make time to play

Keep balance in your life, getting better at cycling doesn’t mean you can't have a night out. It’s important to switch off and relax with people outside of sport. That way it'll feel less like work and help keep the passion.

6. Find training partners

Even if you are a lone wolf sometimes it’s nice to train in a group. You can push each other on and share ideas – you'll only improve your fitness and skills!

7. Mix up your training

If you find yourself stagnating try coming up with some new ideas; the same training will equal the same result. Even if you are progressing it’s nice to keep training fresh and evolve what works for you so don’t become complacent.

8. Focus on your own performance

All you can control is yourself and what you do. Compare your time or performance to what you managed previously not how it compares to others.

Source: https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/pro-cycling-training-tips?linkId=39973643

Games Anniversary

One year on since we won Olympic 🥇 at Rio 2016. Still training hard in Manchester as a trio today. @Philip_hindes @JasonKenny107 pic.twitter.com/oZzTKWbfi6

— Callum Skinner (@CallumSkinner) August 11, 2017

BBC Sports Panel

Tune in at 1pm for the Friday Sports Panel with @VixHolland @ant_crolla & @CallumSkinner joining @EllyOldroyd https://t.co/HqvrnbjH4S pic.twitter.com/TJhkTbUPBo

— BBC 5 live Sport (@5liveSport) August 25, 2017

Medical Records

I courage you to read the Scotsman article relating to these documents. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/cycling/callum-skinner-i-want-to-prove-to-people-my-asthma-is-real-1-4241059

Gives comments on asthma history from the age of 5. Prescribed Ventolin, a brand name for Salbutamol. Also that I’ve visited the Asthma Nurse.

Salbutamol and Prednisolone prescribed following an asthma attack.

Salbutamol Nebuliser prescribed after an asthma attack

Patient discharge after two days in hospital with Pneumonia. Salbutamol and Becotide (a preventative inhaler) prescribed, referred to Asthma Clinic.

Salbutamol nebuliser and Prednisolone prescribed.

Team Sprint Olympic Gold!

Hi Everyone, 

I’m writing this on our rest day in the Olympic Village. With one more race day to go. What a games its been so far!

Our first event was the Team Sprint where winning Gold was the biggest achievement of my career. It was special for so many reasons.

Chiefly because of the amount of work I've put into this one event. For the past two to three years its been my primary focus. Changing my mind set to just focus on this event was hard. I'd previously found most success in other events like the Sprint and Kilo. Having the conviction to continue with this sole focus was also a struggle at times. Its fair to say over the last few years I have been dropped at around half of the events we entered. Every time it didn't get any easier to deal with the disappointment. I was so frustrated with myself. I felt as if I were letting the team down again and again. Sometimes it was clear that we had the best Man 1 and the best Man 2 in the world and often we lost time due to my lack of pace. It was hard but after every set back I had to dust myself down and try and improve for next time. It was made easier by the fantastic team I'm surrounded by. Jason and Phil were very supportive over the last few years through wins and the losses. We all believed if we could have a clean ride we could be world beaters. Its also great to have athletes such as Phil and Jason to chase in training, they set the pace, I had to match it. Thats what made the night we won the team sprint so special. Personally, I got on, did a great lap, three times in a row. And as a team we've never known such pace or consistency.

It was also special due to the means we achieved this win, with the help of the support staff and coaches. We had to get creative with my gym and on the bike training. For example I don't train like a traditional sprinter in the gym, I don't do Squats due to injury issues with my back. For a Sprinter trying to improve my start this can be a real puzzle to overcome. I’m so grateful for the physical condition the coaches and support staff helped me achieve. I truly believe we have some of the most talented coaches, physiologists, physiotherapists, bio mechanists, performance analysts and nutritionists in the world. Its not only a team sprint in terms of the three guys on the track, there is a talented team back in Manchester who make it possible. 

Finally I’ll always remember the way we won that gold medal. In the first ride we broke the Olympic Record and qualified first, a fantastic start. In the semi final we went a little slower and New Zealand went a little quicker beating the Olympic Record we had just set! In the final we knew we had to leave it all on the track. New Zealand on the home straight, seeded first, us on the back straight seeded second. We won by a whisker, one tenth of a second and improved our time to once again break the Olympic Record for the second time in the evening. Also to have won against a team as strong and consistent as the Kiwis was immense. 

To be olympic champions, having broken the olympic record twice and to have beaten the current world campions. To my mind there in no better way to win.

Rio 2016

Hi everyone, its finally official. I’m off to the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games! Ive been selected along side current Olympic Champions Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes. It certainly wasn't an easy team to break into! I’ve known for a few days now and it great to be able to share this news with you. As you know it hasn't been easy to get to this point. There have been ups and downs but overall we have been building our momentum towards these games. I truly believe the best it yet to come. 

Only the Team Sprint has been finalised so far, as it stands I’ll be riding in Chris Hoy’s old position in man 3. I’m also confident of gaining selection in the individual events. Overall I hope to be competing and medal competitive in three events!

Worlds Twitter Gallery

Nothing like staring out the competition, hey @CallumSkinner? :)#TWC2016 #leevalleyvelopark pic.twitter.com/RwEe9t2Qwx

— Kat (@Katonym) March 10, 2016

@trackworlds with @enkounia and @CallumSkinner epic sprint @jim_blackwell @eviep73 @WorcesterCycles @BayCycles pic.twitter.com/eQNYAGiU9d

— cdimages (@cd1mages) March 8, 2016

@CallumSkinner thought you might like this shot I got of you on Saturday afternoon in the sprints, good job btw pic.twitter.com/XPe0VtJLDL

— Joe Kingston (@jokingstonphoto) March 7, 2016

It's eighth for @CallumSkinner overall in the men's sprint, but still a very encouraging #TWC2016 for the Brit! pic.twitter.com/Jjj2zdekVw

— Team GB (@TeamGB) March 5, 2016

Keeping fresh ahead of his sprint 1/4 final, can @CallumSkinner reach the final 4? https://t.co/zBUFQjvxBj #TWC2016 pic.twitter.com/QfGSO10ipV

— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) March 5, 2016

Great morning at the #TWC2016 highlight was seeing @CallumSkinner beat world champ Gregory Bauge. pic.twitter.com/Hm9a5gKAli

— Simon Gill (@simongillphoto) March 4, 2016

#TWC2016 GB's @CallumSkinner on his way to the Quarter Finals of the Men's Sprint pic.twitter.com/cLXpfoH83F

— Track Worlds 2016 (@trackworlds) March 4, 2016

RT @TeamGB: Yes he can! @CallumSkinner qualifies at the expense of nine-time World champion Gregory Bauge! #TWC2016 pic.twitter.com/BLD70rvdC0

— Lee Valley VeloPark (@LeeValleyVP) March 4, 2016

Whoop woop!! @CallumSkinner awesome in the sprint!! 🇬🇧🚴🏻🇬🇧 #TWC2016 @trackworlds pic.twitter.com/Ugodozg90t

— Aimee Fenwick (@AimeeFenners) March 4, 2016

Come on @CallumSkinner straight through please. pic.twitter.com/gj5xPNLOgv

— Keirin (@Keirin_) March 4, 2016

Sir Chris Hoy tips Scottish pair to win gold in Rio 2016

A welcome endorsement from Sir Chris Hoy. Read more here