Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) - Swimming

June 11, 2021

The Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) is a unique and industry-leading programme delivered by Swim England in conjunction with Loughborough College.

This government-funded programme is fully integrated into all Swim England talent pathways and offers the perfect environment for athletes to harmoniously combine their sport and education.

Athletes such as Adam Peaty and Rebecca Adlington are amongst the extensive list of DiSE alumni who have gone on to enjoy continued international success on the world stage.

The 2022 programme spans over two years, with each athlete being allocated an experienced Swim England DiSE Assessor who will be there to support the individual every step of the way. It is specially designed to run alongside, and complement, the athletes chosen further education, A Levels or a BTEC qualification, as well as their clubs training programme.

Delivery of the programme is done via workshops, camps, and club visits and is managed by the Swim England talent team, specialist practitioners and coaches.

Content

The DiSE programme is tailored to the athletes and their respective disciplines, offering them the key knowledge and skills necessary in order to become a high-performance international athlete.

In addition, the DiSE programme will equip the participants with the relevant expertise and capabilities in order to have a successful senior career/post-swimming career.

Topics such as lifestyle, nutrition, mental health, psychology, behaviour, and safety are some of the key components within the DiSE syllabus, as well as more practical elements such as career, finance, injuries, anti-doping and media training.

Each of the elements within the DiSE syllabus has been specifically designed to cover each and every facet of high-performance sport and will equip the athletes with the necessary tools to balance their sport and academia.

Past alumni

The DiSE programme alumni includes some of the most successful British swimmers in history, including reigning Olympic and World champion and World record holder Adam Peaty and two-time Olympic gold medal winner Rebecca Adlington.

European champion Molly Renshaw, World silver medallist James Wilby and European Medallist Max Litchfield have also been a part of the bespoke programme.

Paralympic champions Jessica-Jane Applegate and Ollie Hynd have enjoyed continued International success in their respective specialities and have both successfully completed the DiSE programme.

Past alumni of athletes to obtain the DiSE qualification include:

Adam Peaty – Olympic and World Champion
Rebecca Adlington – Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European medallist
Molly Renshaw – European Champion
James Wilby – World Champion
Max Litchfield – European Medallist
Alice Dearing – World Junior Champion
Jessica-Jane Applegate – Paralympic Champion
Thomas Hamer – Paralympic Silver Medallist
Ollie Hynd – Paralympic Champion
Megan Richter – World Medallist

Criteria

Born between the 1 September 2005 – 31 August 2006.
Be enrolling on to a full-time state funded further education programme (or Independent school if in receipt of at least 50 per cent fee remission).
Member of an English club, reside in England and eligible to represent either England, Scotland or Wales.
Meet the sport specific performance criteria.

View the latest details and swimmer selection policies in the library below.