Ten current or former British athletes have been appointed to a group that reviews elite sporting policies from an athlete perspective.

Run by the British Elite Athletes Association, the new Athlete Advisory Forum (AAF) will be chaired by GB Hockey captain Hollie Pearne-Webb in an effort to increase the strength of the athlete voice at the top of decision making in elite sport.

The forum will discuss and feed back on proposals that affect athletes by organisations such as UK Sport, as well as the strategic direction of the BEAA itself, covering topics such as coaching, culture, ED&I, finances, representation, safeguarding, selection, social impact, support and welfare.

The BEAA are delighted to confirm the newly-selected members: Hollie Pearne-Webb (Chair, hockey), Asha Philip (Vice Chair, athletics), Alice Davies (rowing), Dan Greaves (para-athletics), Brad Hall (bobsleigh), James Mazarelo (hockey), Seonaid McIntosh (shooting), Marcus Mepstead (fencing), Grace Reid (diving) and Kirstie Urwin (sailing).

With UK Sport making athlete input into policy development part of its response to the Whyte Review, these athletes will play a crucial role in representing the interests and perspectives of their peers, helping to foster an athlete-centred environment within elite British sport. Find out more about each of them below.

In a recent BEAA athlete survey almost 80% of participants said they thought better connection with athletes in leadership positions was important or very important. As the representative body for Britain’s World Class Programme athletes, the BEAA hopes the AAF will further strengthen the athlete voice within the high-performance system.

Chair Hollie Pearne-Webb said: “This is a really big step in promoting a diverse range of athlete voices on behalf of the wider community when important decisions are taken. We had many capable applicants but I’m incredibly pleased with the group we’ve selected and look forward to working with stakeholders across elite British sport in the years ahead.”

BEAA CEO Anna Watkins added: “After a thorough recruitment process, I’m delighted with the calibre of this group and the breadth of experience it can call upon. Putting the athletes’ perspective at the heart of decisions is hugely important, and this forum will work with our partners in elite sport as well as other athlete commissions to further strengthen the athlete voice.”

Athlete Advisory Forum members are appointed for two-year terms, with possible two-year extensions. They will meet roughly six times a year to discuss items selected by the Chair.

Staff wishing to engage the AAF on a subject should email the forum administrator Grace Stanley, who will raise topics for consideration via the Chair. We will publish top-level summaries of meetings on our website.

Hollie Pearne-Webb MBE, hockey (Chair)

One of two athlete members on the BEAA Board, Hollie Pearne-Webb is also captain of GB Hockey and will Chair the Athlete Advisory Forum. She is a double Olympic medallist, winning gold in 2016 – when she scored the winning penalty – and bronze in 2020 as well as Commonwealth gold in 2022 and the European Championships in 2015. She was awarded an MBE in 2017 and is a Senior Consultant with EY.

Asha Philip, athletics (Vice Chair)

The second athlete member on the BEAA Board, sprinter Asha Philip has medalled at Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth Games, most recently helping her team to 4x100m bronze in the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

She is one of Britain’s fastest ever sprinters, and has represented her country in both athletics and gymnastics. Known for her explosive starts, she is the current 60m British record holder and nine-time British champion across both the 60m and 100m.

Alice Davies, rowing

Alice Davies was a rower with Great Britain and rowed competitively for eight years – four of which were on the World Class Programme – competing in two World Cups and the U23 World Rowing Championships. Alice retired through injury in April 2023 and is now a recruitment consultant having also been a rowing coach.

Dan Greaves, para-athletics

Discus thrower Dan Greaves is a record-breaking medallist, becoming the first British track and field athlete to podium at six consecutive Paralympic Games. He made his Paralympic bow as champion in 2004 and has medalled at every Games since, most recently winning bronze in Tokyo. He is also a three-time world champion and four-time European champion, has two young children, and was a member of the UK Athletics Athletes’ Commission.

Brad Hall, bobsleigh

Brad Hall is a double Olympian and pilot of Team Hall, Britain’s four-man bobsleigh team. In 2023 the bobsleigh team ended a phenomenal season by finishing second in the World Championships – Britain’s first four-man World Championships medal in 84 years.

Brad became the first male pilot to lead Great Britain to a World Championship medal since Frederick McEvoy in 1939, and also won gold in the European Championships. He led Team Hall through three years of self-funding in which they came through the Covid-19 pandemic and competed in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Grace Reid, diving

Diver Grace Reid made her Commonwealth Games debut as Team Scotland’s youngest athlete aged just 14. The competition became a happy home for her with gold medals in 2018, when she became Scotland’s first ever Commonwealth female diving medallist, and 2022.

Most recently she became the first female British diver to win an individual world medal when she earned silver in the 1m springboard at the 2024 World Championships. She also competed at the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games and holds a degree in Applied Sport Science.

James Mazarelo, hockey

A GB Hockey goalkeeper, James Mazarelo recently returned from helping the team qualify for the Paris Olympics. He starred for England in the 2023 European Championships, booking their place as runners-up with a heroic performance in the semi-final penalty shootout.

When not between the posts James is in his second year of a master’s in Sport Management, Politics and International Development and chaired the Performance Sport Athlete Committee at Loughborough University.

Seonaid McIntosh, shooting

Seonaid McIntosh is one of Britain’s most successful female shooters in history, becoming the first British woman to be ranked world No.1 for the 50m rifle three positions event in 2019.

She has been both world and European champion and most recently secured two golds in the Cairo World Cup. She also has extensive experience in public speaking and is a British Shooting Schools Ambassador.

Marcus Mepstead, fencing

Marcus Mepstead is a double Olympian, qualifying in 2020 as Britain’s only fencer after the sport lost its funding and as the number one athlete in the European Qualification Zone. He also holds a World Championships silver medal and European Games gold, but as importantly has been recognised for his environmental work, winning the IOC Climate Award for sustainable travel.

Kirstie Urwin, sailing

Kirstie Urwin represented Great Britain for almost a decade as a sailor and sailing coach. A passionate advocate for mental health, she has featured in campaigns promoting the topic and helped to establish an athlete-led mental health panel with British Sailing. Upon retiring from competitive sport Kirstie became a Programme Manager at the True Athlete Project, empowering athlete wellbeing.