About us
The Athlete Academy delivers sports performance training, rehabilitation from injury and advanced personal training.
Our highly experienced and motivational coaching team are based at our new purpose-designed facility at the Kingsholm Stadium in Gloucester.
The gym is fully equipped with high quality equipment suitable for junior athletes (8-18 years old), senior athletes and clients who, although not actively involved in sport, are ambitious about their personal fitness and physical development.
We draw upon our experiences from professional sport and elite strength and conditioning to help you:
- Reduce the risk of injury
- Gain the competitive edge over your opponents you need to succeed
- Increase your strength, power, speed and agility
- Improve your flexibility, balance, co-ordination and stability
- Recover from injury
- Achieve your next personal fitness goal
We encourage high standards from all who work with us, and use best practise in all elements of our training.
Our Team
The Athlete Academy team is highly qualified, CRB cleared and fully insured. Our coaches have been a part of the development of professional and international sport stars in a range of sports.
Our team of coaches share a passion for working with people of all ages, and place a strong emphasis on education within their training empowering everyone they work with to continue their development outside of the time they spend at the Athlete Academy.
We believe in an interdisciplinary approach to physical development and we work closely with physiotherapists and coaches to optimise the welfare of each person we work with.
Ed Archer – Programme Director and Head Coach
- UKSCA Accredited Strength & Conditioning Coach (ASCC)
- UKSCA Tutor and Assessor
- Advanced Personal Trainer & Sports Therapist
- BSc (Hons) Advanced Sport & Exercise
Experience
- Has developed innovative junior athlete development programmes throughout the county, forging strong working relationships with school PE departments, sports clubs, parents and of course the athletes themselves during the past 10 years of working in the region.
- Initiated the first Vocational Fitness Qualifications for 14-18 year-olds to be run out of a school in Gloucestershire (2006). These continue to go from strength to strength.
- Gloucester Rugby Club – 7 years as a Senior Strength and Conditioning coach
- Fitness consultant to a range of sports including Formula 1 and the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
James Baker – Strength and Conditioning Coach
- UKSCA Accredited Strength & Conditioning Coach (ASCC)
- Advanced Personal Trainer
- BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science
Experience
- Bristol Rugby Club 2009/2010 season providing Strength and Conditioning support to 1st XV and Academy squads.
- Experienced Personal Trainer working with a range of clients throughout Gloucestershire.
- First hand experience of Junior Elite competitions having represented the Great British Children’s Ski Team in 1996, and also as a member of the Gloucester Rugby Academy 2001-2003.
Lucie Archer – Director and Primary Physical Education Adviser
PGCE in Primary Education
BA (Hons) Sport and Education Studies
Level 4 Sports Massage Therapy
REPs Level 2 Fitness Instructor
Lucie brings a wealth of experience to the Athlete Academy. 10 years of international field hockey and 6 years as a firefighter make her a great role model for our young athletes. Lucie is also an experienced educator and provides valuable guidance for coaching our younger age groups.
Clare Wood ward – Consultant Physiotherapist
MCSP HPC
Director – Back into Action Physiotherapy
Clare is on of the most respected sports physiotherapists in the region. She has 10 years of Premiership Rugby experience behind her, and a host of international competitors from a wide range of sports as regular clients.
She is a specialist in female pelvis-related pain and dysfunction as well as having extensive experience in treating junior athletes.
Her expertise and advice is vital to the Athlete Academy team providing all our clients and athletes with the best possible individual care.