Nicola Philips OBE appointed as UKAD Athlete Commission Chair

• Professor Nicola Philips OBE has been announced as the new Chair of UKAD's Athlete Commission
• Former Chair, Sarah Winckless MBE steps down from the role after six-years
• Pippa Britton's role as Vice-Chair of UKAD's Board comes to an end
• Nicholas Griffin KC becomes Vice-Chair of the UKAD Board

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) has announced Professor Nicola Philips OBE as the new Chair of its Athlete Commission group.

The UKAD Athlete Commission is an independent group of British athletes who are passionate about clean sport. The group discusses, and is consulted on, UKAD policies, wider issues in clean sport, and ensures that the athlete perspective is included at the heart of anti-doping in the UK.

Nicola, who has been a member of the UKAD Board since 2017 and is an internationally registered Sports Physiotherapy specialist and a Professor at Cardiff University, will be responsible for chairing the group and supporting them with their strategic priorities and public relations in her new role.

During her career, Nicola has worked extensively with both the Welsh and British teams at Commonwealth and Olympic Games for over 25 years. She was Chef de Mission for Wales’ Commonwealth Games team in 2018 and 2022, as well as President of the International Federation of Sports Physical Therapy from 2011-2017. Nicola also holds the position of Advisory Board Member of the Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA).

Nicola’s main areas of both clinical and academic work are in rehabilitation of high-performance athletes. She is an Honorary Life Member of the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Sport and Exercise Medicine and was also Head of Team GB’s Preparation Camp for the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Upon her appointment to UKAD Athlete Commission Chair, Nicola commented: “I’m very much looking forward to working with the UKAD Athlete Commission. Most of my professional career has been focussed on supporting athletes perform to their best and to stay healthy. Helping them to use their voice within UKAD is a privilege.”

Ali Jawad, British Paralympic Powerlifter and member of the UKAD Athlete Commission, said: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming Nicola as the Chair of the UKAD Athlete Commission. Her background shows that she is passionate about ensuring the athlete voice is heard and she has extensive knowledge when it comes to all things anti-doping, making her a perfect fit for this role. I am excited to work with her and to see what we can do going forward as a group to positively impact anti-doping in the UK.”

Nicola will replace Sarah Winckless MBE who steps down from the role of UKAD Athlete Commission Chair after a successful six-years in the role. 

In addition, Nicholas Griffin KC will be taking over the role of Vice-Chair of the UKAD Board as Pippa Britton’s time in the role comes to an end.

Trevor Pearce, Chair of the UKAD Board, added: “I am delighted that Nicola will be stepping into the role of Athlete Commission Chair as she has a wealth of experience in working with elite level athletes and has been a valuable member of the UKAD Board for many years now. I’m sure the members of the Athlete Commission will welcome Nicola’s insight and passion for clean sport.

“We are of course sad to see Sarah go after the huge impact she’s had on the Athlete Commission, as well as the UKAD Board, however I’m confident that the position of Chair will be in safe hands with Nicola.

“I would also like to wish Pippa Britton all the best as she departs the UKAD Board and to thank her for her massive contributions to the organisation. Her role as Vice-Chair of the UKAD Board will be well looked after by Nicholas Griffin.”

You can find out more about the Athlete Commission and Board on the UKAD website.