All about Team 2012

Find out what it is, how to donate or raise money and much more in our FAQ's.

Q. What is Team 2012?

Team 2012 is the official support programme for British athletes striving to be selected for Team GB and ParalympicsGB in 2012.

Presented by Visa, Team 2012 aims to raise £25m to support 1,200 athletes who are in training to be selected for the Olympic and Paralympic teams (Team GB and Paralymics GB) which will represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the London 2012 Games.

Along the way, they will train for thousands of hours, they’ll compete at national and international championships, and with the support of Team 2012, will be in the best shape to qualify for and compete at the London 2012 Games as part of Our Greatest Team, winning more medals in more sports than ever before.

Sir Matthew Pinsent, four-time Olympic gold medallist and Chairman of the Team 2012 Fundraising Appeal, said: “Team 2012 provides our Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls with unrivalled support as they prepare ahead of the Games. Since I was competing, the international sporting landscape has changed significantly, with more nations than ever before capable of winning major medals.

"To excel amidst the most talented and competitive field of athletes the world has ever seen, our athletes will have to train for thousands of hours, compete at national and international championships and have access to the best facilities and staff. All of this requires funding, and with support from the public they can be in the best shape to win more medals across more sports at London 2012."

Q. What is the Be There with Team 2012 campaign?

Be There with Team 2012 is a fundraising campaign aimed to engage the public with British athletes on their journey towards London 2012 and raise £2m. This will be achieved via a multi-faceted appeal running from 10 October to 31 December 2011.

Jessica Ennis, 2009 heptathlon world champion, said: "The funds raised by Team 2012 are absolutely essential. The £2 million we aim to raise through ‘Be There with Team 2012’ represents a critical sum we need as athletes to get a final boost as we prepare to represent our country at London 2012.

"Every pound really will make a difference to Team 2012 athletes. I know from personal experience how fine the margins are in elite sport, and the money raised will help the British teams  prepare to the best of their ability and make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of competing at a home Games."


Q. How can I get involved or donate?

There will be three ways that you can get involved:

1.Donations of all amounts are being accepted and welcomed on the website www. team-2012.com up until the end of the year. And between 10 October and 27 November, anyone who donates over £5 and answers a competition question will be in with a chance of winning tickets to the Olympic Games or Paralympic Games next year.

2. A major national text-to-win-tickets promotion is being run in conjunction with the Team 2012 Appeal newspaper partners The Sun, The Times and the Sunday Times, with support from BT as official Olympics and Paralympics partner. The public will be able enter daily competitions to win London 2012 tickets by text in November. All profits will go to the Team 2012 fundraising appeal.

3. In addition, Team 2012 supporting partner, adidas, has produced a limited edition run of 250 Team 2012 trainers to support British athletes, which will go on sale in late October. All proceeds raised from the trainers sale will go to Team 2012. And two lucky buyers will also be given the opportunity to go to either the Olympic or Paralympic Games next year.

Q. Why do we need to raise funds?

London 2012 will be the most competitive Olympic and Paralympic Games in history. Never have there been so many nations in contention for the medal places. And after a 4th place finish in the 2008 Olympics and 2nd in the Paralympics, our rivals are on red alert.

In this highly competitive environment, the talent and dedication of our athletes is no longer enough on their own.  To achieve their full potential and get to the podium, athletes require a sophisticated system of coaching, sports science and medicine.

Team 2012 funding works together with money received from the Government and National Lottery to ensure our athletes have the world-class support they need to succeed.

At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the margin between gold and silver across four of the gold medals won by Team GB was just 0.87 seconds. The margin for success really is razor-thin.  

This is the backdrop against which Team 2012 athletes are now training – not only to make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of competing in a Home Games – but to excel amidst the most talented and competitive field of athletes the world has ever seen.  To do this requires funding.

Your support of Team 2012 represents the final investment that can make the difference.  You can shape sporting history and influence the performance of our athletes on the greatest stage of all, at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Q. Where do the funds go?

We are not prepared to cut corners. This could risk the medal chances and ambitions of our most talented athletes.

Our aim is simple: to ensure that – from the moment they start training to the moment they reach the start line – each of our athletes are surrounded by a world class programme of support and have access to the best facilities within the UK and, in many cases, the world.

Team 2012 funding is split across two broad areas:

1. Enhanced support for athletes

Funds raised by Team 2012 are primarily invested in five key areas across 47 different Olympic and Paralympic sporting disciplines:

• Coaching and management
• International travel to both compete and train abroad
• Medical support including sports psychology, physiotherapy, nutrition advice and intensive rehabilitation
• Facilities
• Kit and equipment

2. Home Games Preparation

Over 70% of the athletes who are selected for Our Greatest Team will never have been to an Olympic or Paralympic Games before and none of them will have competed in a Home Games. The pressure on every athlete to perform successfully at any Olympics or Paralympics is immense, especially when on home soil.

Preparation camps will help to prepare each of our athletes for a unique experience in London 2012. The majority of athletes who are finally selected to compete as part of Team GB and ParalympicsGB will each be brought together in one location to acclimatise and complete their final preparations just prior to the Games next year.

Q. Who is Team 2012?
Team 2012 is a joint venture created in 2008 between four organisations – the British Olympic Association and the British Paralympic Association, UK Sport and LOCOG