Mo Farah Foundation Scholars Trained in the Art of Media Interviews

Mo Farah Foundation Scholarship athletes at St Mary’s University, Twickenham, recently visited the Foundation’s offices in central Twickenham for an afternoon of media training. The training session saw seven Mo Farah Foundation scholars from St Mary’s and four from Brunel University learn about all aspects of being in the media spotlight. During the session they were taught key interview techniques and how to handle difficult or controversial questions. The session also equipped them with the skills to use social media to communicate with their followers. The athletes were taught about the pitfalls that come with online communications, with demonstrations to show how fast and far information can spread, and also of the positives that come from using the medium. At the end of the session the scholars were treated to a Skype call with Mo Farah from America. Where they were able to speak about their sport before being given words of encouragement from Mo. Operations Manager at the Mo Farah Foundation Kim Creamer said, “The Mo Farah Foundation is committed to supporting young athletic talent through our Academy’s Scholarship. Being a successful athlete is not just about your physical performance it is also about your off field performance and just like any profession, equipping yourself with all the necessary skills to be the best you can be is vital to your success.” “Today was a fun and empowering session that we believe will equip the athletes with just that. To have Mo call in personally to chat with all the athletes individually is testament to his commitment and we [the Mo Farah Foundation Team] are very proud to have all 11 scholars as part of our team.” The Mo Farah Foundation Scholarship is an initiative that sees promising young GB athletes supported through advice, guidance, and with finances to help them to fulfil their potential. St Mary’s is one of only two universities in the UK to offer the scheme, which is now in its second year.