The Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC), the Belgian Paralympic Committee (BPC), and the elite sport partners work together to offer an “Athlete Career Programme” to Olympians, Paralympians, and elite athletes.
The Athlete Career Programme (ACP) Belgium complements the initiatives of the Belgian sports authorities regarding ‘dual career’ (Sport Vlaanderen ‘Carrièrebegeleiding’ / ADEPS ‘projet de vie’). Our goal is to provide a framework in which athletes can develop their future careers both during and after their elite sports career. The focus is on three pillars: education, skills, and employment.
The Dual Career
When elite athletes choose to combine their sporting career with studies or work, they opt for a dual career. A dual career is challenging but also offers the athlete many benefits, such as the development of transferable skills from one domain to another (e.g., time management, discipline, drive, winning attitude, resilience…), finding mental balance by shifting focus, better social development, and even a longer sporting career.
The Holistic Athletic Career (HAC) model illustrates the athlete’s career and its evolution across different domains (athletic, psychological, psychosocial, academic & professional, and financial). The lines in this model indicate that the age at which transitions occur is only an approximation. Although every athlete’s journey is unique, they often face similar challenges. To help overcome these as effectively as possible, BOIC is committed to supporting its athletes in a holistic way.
The ACP model
Based on the HAC model and recommendations from scientific research conducted by the Vrije Universiteit Brussel with the support of the International Olympic Committee, the ACP model was developed. The purpose of the ACP model is to encourage elite athletes to find their way to appropriate existing Belgian initiatives that can assist in the further development of their dual career.
Athlete Career Day
The Athlete Career Day marks its 10th anniversary and is today a collaboration between the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee (BOIC), the Belgian Paralympic Committee (BPC), Sport Vlaanderen, Adeps and Ostbelgien, facilitated by the Social Fund for Sport.
It is an event within the Athlete Career Programme and serves as a permanent meeting point for elite athletes who want to actively work on their future alongside and after their sporting career. The skills they develop throughout their career — such as discipline, perseverance, teamwork and performance orientation — also represent significant added value outside sport. During the Athlete Career Day, participants discover how to translate these strengths into a professional context and how to make the most of their potential in their further career.
Over the years, the event has grown into a strong platform where inspiration, knowledge sharing and networking come together. The programme combines interactive workshops, inspiring testimonials and direct contacts with companies and organisations, with the aim of providing athletes with concrete support during their career transition.
The ACP Fund (2014 – 2020)
The Belgian ACP Fund was specifically created for Olympic and Paralympic athletes to provide financial support for their further development towards a career after sport. Thanks in part to the support of the Baillet-Latour Fund, this project was highly successful. The ACP Fund operated between 2014 and 2020 and provided annual support of €100,000 to Olympians and Paralympians.
- Olympians and Paralympians who chose (para)medical studies (27%) or sports-related education (27%) were the most frequent beneficiaries of the ACP Fund.
- 72% of the athletes who used the ACP Fund in preparation for Tokyo 2020 achieved a top-8 finish. In addition, four coaches also benefited from ACP Fund support for their Tokyo 2020 preparation, two of whom achieved a top-8 finish together with their athletes.
- Of the entire Tokyo 2020 delegation, 38% of the athletes applied to the ACP Fund to financially support their dual career, and 38% of the athletes who achieved a top-8 finish in Tokyo were previously connected to the ACP Fund.
- Of the 19 top-8 finishes achieved by Team Belgium in Tokyo (places 4–8), 12 can be linked to athletes who used the ACP Fund during their preparation. Furthermore, four of the seven medals won at Tokyo 2020 can be linked to athletes who chose to benefit from this initiative.
The Athlete Career Programme (ACP) is strengthened by the ACP Fund, made possible thanks to the support of Olympic Solidarity.
Since 2020, Team Belgium has had a budget of $10,000 per Olympiad to support Olympic athletes in their preparation for a career after elite sport. These resources complement the initiatives of the communities and are specifically used to provide financial support for education and training, allowing Olympians to develop their skills and sustainably prepare their future.
In addition, Olympic Solidarity also offers financial support opportunities for Olympians wishing to further develop as coaches. This support is subject to specific selection criteria and requires an application submitted through the BOIC.
This fund provides significant leverage in lowering barriers to education and professional development and contributes to a successful transition after the sporting career. Between 2014 and 2020, the ACP Fund was supported by the Baillet-Latour Fund.
Training and international collaborations
Within the Athlete Career Programme, we actively encourage Olympians to participate in high-quality training programmes and international learning pathways, as an essential leverage in preparing for a sustainable career after elite sport.
The Belgian Olympic Academy is a unique training programme created through a collaboration between the BOIC, Ghent University and the Université Catholique de Louvain. The programme aims to professionalise management within sports organisations by combining academic insights with practical experience and using Olympic values as a guiding principle.
The programme is aimed at sports managers, policymakers and future leaders within the sports sector, with Olympians forming a priority target group. Based on their experience and expertise, they are encouraged to continue developing and to take an active role in the sports world after their career.
Throughout an academic year, participants follow a modular programme covering current topics such as leadership, strategic management, governance and sports ethics. The programme combines theory and practice and is enriched by international exchanges, including with the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne.
The Belgian Olympic Academy therefore contributes to the development of strong sports organisations and the sustainable emergence of competent and committed leaders within Belgian sport.
Through the ACP Fund, additional support can be requested for (former) Olympians. This application must be submitted through the BOIC.
Through Athlete365, the official IOC platform for athletes, elite athletes have access to a wide range of short courses, workshops and online learning programmes. These initiatives support athletes worldwide in their preparation for a dual and post-Olympic career.
The courses are accessible and flexible and focus on both personal and professional development. They cover topics such as personal development and career planning, transferable skills and personal positioning, entrepreneurship and business development, mental well-being and personal identity, financial skills and personal branding.
Athlete365 courses therefore provide an accessible first step in strengthening skills and exploring opportunities outside sport, while closely complementing the broader support offered within the Athlete Career Programme.
This programme is organised by KU Leuven (iCERIS) in collaboration with the IOC through Olympic Solidarity and builds on the leading MAiSI and DAiSI programmes in the field of sports ethics and integrity.
ACTSI has been specifically developed for Olympians who wish to deepen their knowledge and expertise and prepare for an active role within the sports sector after their elite sporting career. The course combines academic insights with practical applications and offers a unique learning experience in an international setting.
During the programme, essential topics are covered, including anti-doping, equality, inclusion and diversity, good governance, safe sport and sports integrity.
Through IOC Olympic Solidarity, additional support can be requested for (former) Olympians. This application must be submitted through the BOIC.
The Master of Arts in Sports Ethics and Integrity (MAiSI) is an internationally recognised two-year master’s programme within the Erasmus Mundus programme of the European Union. The programme focuses on developing expertise in sports ethics and integrity and prepares participants for key roles within sports organisations, policy and governance.
The programme is multidisciplinary and combines insights from fields including philosophy, law, management and social sciences. Students follow the programme at various European universities (including KU Leuven, Charles University, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Universitat Pompeu Fabra and University of the Peloponnese), allowing them to develop a broad and diverse perspective on sport and integrity.
Through IOC Olympic Solidarity, additional support can be requested for (former) Olympians. This application must be submitted through the BOIC.
Athlete-Friendly Education Award
The Athlete Friendly Education Award (AFE Award) originated from a European cooperation project on dual careers, funded by the Erasmus+ programme. Its aim was to encourage educational institutions to make their programmes more “athlete-friendly” and better aligned with the needs of elite athletes. After several editions, the Athlete Friendly Education Award has now been temporarily put on hold.
The award was launched as a continuation of the Erasmus+ project (2019–2021) and had its first award ceremony in 2022. Over the following Olympiad, several educational initiatives were recognised for their commitment to athlete-friendly education.
Winners of the Athlete Friendly Education Award:
- Dienst Topsport & Studie – Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
- Service des sports – Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain)
- Bachelor Bedrijfsmanagement – afstudeerrichting Sportmanagement – Vives Hogeschool
- CASHES – Cellule d’Accompagnement des Sportifs de Haut niveau dans l’Enseignement Supérieur (ASEUS)
The award highlights the importance of a supportive and flexible educational environment, allowing elite athletes to optimally combine their sporting and academic pathways.