Atos Athlete Ambassador goes back to school to put pupils through their paces

Leading Scottish triathlete, Marc Austin, has gone back to school to share his journey to becoming a top level athlete as part of his new ambassadorial role with international IT services company Atos – proud supporter of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Marc, 20, met pupils from Duddingston Primary in Edinburgh, Stonelaw High School in Rutherglen and Rosebank Primary in Nairn this month, to take them through an active session, sharing his warm up routine, cardiovascular and core strength exercises. He also discussed with them the training and preparation schedule that a top level athlete has to undertake.

Marc has been training for triathlons since he was 11 and he is now hoping to be selected for the Team Scotland triathlon team ahead of this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow which will be announced in June.

Last year it was announced that Marc would work with Atos in the run up to and after Glasgow 2014, in order to amplify the company’s partnership with the Games and highlight the importance and relevance of information technology in athletic and business performance.

A team of Atos business technologists joined Marc at each of the schools to share their role as Proud Supporter of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games with the pupils.

Marc said: “When I was in school I loved sport so it was great to visit the primary pupils and help them improve their sporting activities and answer their questions about being a professional athlete.

“In terms of Glasgow 2014, I’m from Glasgow so having the Games here just means so much for me and that is really driving me on to deliver the performances I need to get there.

“It is pretty surreal that the Commonwealth Games are in Glasgow, but knowing that there will be people in the crowd cheering you on who have watched you grow up and establish your career is a major thing for me.”

Gavin Thomson, Atos Senior Vice President in Scotland, said: “We are very proud to have Marc as an ambassador ahead of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. I am sure that the pupils he met in Edinburgh, Rutherglen and Nairn will have been inspired by the dedication and determination it takes to become a top level athlete.

“By undertaking these school visits we hope to encourage young people to get excited for this year’s Games and to inform them of the important role IT plays in major sporting events like the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.”

About Atos

Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is an international information technology services company with 2013 annual revenue of €8.6 billion and 76,300 employees in 52 countries. Serving a global client base, it delivers IT services in 3 domains, Consulting & Technology Services, Systems Integration and Managed Services & BPO, and transactional services through Worldline. With its deep technology expertise and industry knowledge, it works with clients across the following market sectors: Manufacturing, Retail & Services; Public sector, Healthcare & Transports; Financial Services; Telco, Media & Utilities.

Atos is focused on business technology that powers progress and helps organizations to create their firm of the future. It is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and is quoted on the NYSE Euronext Paris market. Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting & Technology Services, Worldline and Atos Worldgrid. For more information, visit: https://atos.net/en-gb