Improving Performance
The British Squad is provided with the support they need to become world class orienteers. Whether it is advice on sports science, nutrition, injuries, or recovering from an illness, the British Squad will receive the best possible advice.
Squad Physio and Medical Support
Coaching and Training Advice
British Squad Funds
Useful Links
Squad Physio and Medical Support
Support is always available by emailing Lead Physiotherapist Kim Baxter.
Liba Sheeran, our ex team physiotherapist describes core stability exercises and how to optimise performance:
- Physio - Core Stability Exercises Part 1 - Liba Sheeran
- Physio - Core Stability Exercises Part 2 - Liba Sheeran
- Physio - Stability Exercises - Liba Sheeran
Optimising Performace through Nutrition:
Training and Competiting in Hot Climates - Dr Sarah Rollins
Dr David Bailey's guide to competing in hot environments
Advice on Ticks
Steve Vernon (GBR Cross Country Runner)
Coaching and Training Advice
Written by Göran Andersson (ex GB Performance Coach and current coach to the Swedish Team) and translated by Jamie Stevenson. This book describes all the aspects of becoming a World Class athlete.
- SQUAD Training Book 1 - Dare to be the best
- SQUAD Training Book 2 - All roads lead to Rome
- SQUAD Training Book 3 - What is orienteering?
- SQUAD Training Book 4 - The demands of orienteering
- SQUAD Training Book 5 - Psychological factors
- SQUAD Training Book 6 -Nutrition
- SQUAD Training Book 7 - Sports anorexia
- SQUAD Training Book 8 - Human physiology
- SQUAD Training Book 9 - Training at the right intensity
- SQUAD Training Book 10 - Planning training
- SQUAD Training Book 11 - Injuries
- SQUAD Training Book 12 - Physiological Testing
- SQUAD Training Book 12 - Appendix to Physiological Testing
- SQUAD Training Book 13 - Physical Training
- SQUAD Training Book 14 - Race Analysis Form
Useful links
Established by Royal Charter in 1996, UK Sport works in partnership with the home country sports councils and other agencies to lead sport in the UK to world-class success.UK Sport is responsible for managing and distributing public investment and is a statutory distributor of funds raised by the National Lottery.
Sign up for the UK Sport newsletter at www.uksport.gov.uk to find out all the latest news.

Sport England is the Government agency responsible for advising, investing in and promoting community sport to create an active nation. They aim to get two million more people active in sport by 2012 and to make sure that participation is sustained. Further information can be found at www.sportengland.org
British Olympic Association (BOA)
The BOA provides the pivot around which Team GB revolves prior to and during the Olympic Games. Working with the Olympic Governing Bodies, the BOA selects Team GB from the best sportsmen and women who will go on to compete in the 28 summer and 7 winter Olympic sports at the greatest sporting competition in the world.
The BOA is not funded or controlled by government, has no political interests and is completely dependent upon commercial sponsorship and fundraising income. The BOA is the strong, independent voice for British Olympic Sport. Their website has lots of useful advice.
English Institute of Sport (EIS)
The EIS provide a nationwide network of world class support services, designed to foster the talents of our elite athletes. The range of services supplied by the EIS spans sports science and sports medicine.
Support includes applied physiology, biomechanics, medical consultation, medical screening, nutritional advice, performance analysis, psychology, podiatry, strength and conditioning coaching, sports massage and sports vision. The Performance Lifestyle programme provides supplementary career and education advice. Unfortunately Orienteering is currently not one of the supported sports. Further information can be found on their website.
British Athletes Commission (BAC)
The BAC acts as the unified voice of the athletes to the major decision makers within British sport and promotes athlete representation within all Olympic, Paralympic and World Class funded Sports. The BAC is working to provide all athletes with a way to make their voices heard and a pathway to pursue and resolve any problems they encounter within their sport. In October 2006 Heather Monro who won a Bronze Medal at the 2005 World Orienteering Championships was made a member of the BAC Executive Committee. GB Squad member Graham Gristwood is the current orienteering representative. Further information can be found on their website.
Sporting Champions
Sporting Champions is a Sport England initiative, which brings World Class athletes face-to-face with young people to inspire and motivate them to participate in sport. Sporting Champions recruit every September. World Orienteering Bronze medallist Heather Monro is a Sporting Champion. You can see her profile here.
Tick Alert
The Tick Alert campaign aims to raise awareness of tick-borne diseases both at home and abroad. Ticks are second only to mosquitoes for carrying disease to humans. Diseases are contracted from the bite of infected ticks. The primary illnesses to be aware of are Lyme disease in the UK and Tick Borne Encephalitis (TBE), which is potentially fatal and currently endemic in 27 countries in mainland Europe.
Travellers visiting rural areas are particular at risk from tick bites. High risk groups are those participating in camping, hiking/trekking, cycling, climbing, orienteering and other outdoor activities and pursuits.
So if you are visiting any area where there are ticks, especially TBE endemic countries, make sure you know about bite prevention, how to look out for the early symptoms and remember to seek advice well before your travel date.
Tick Alert provide advice and information on how to keep safe from ticks and their infections as well as vaccination advice. Further information can be found on their website or in the document below:
Peak Performance Sports Injury Bulletin
Advice from the latest Sport Science research with lots of useful information on sports training, injury prevention and cures. www.pponline.co.uk/
World of O
The best starting point for International Orienteering News, giving you news from all big and small orienteering sites around the world.
www.worldofo.com
IOF
This is the official site of the International Orienteering Federation. www.orienteering.org



