Mark England, former University of Leeds student and Team GB Chef de Mission has been inducted into our sporting hall of fame.
Mark studied Economic History at Leeds, graduating in 1981 and has gone on to enjoy an illustrious career in sport. He is the current Chef de Mission for the Great Britain Olympic Team – Team GB. He has held the coveted role for the past two Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016 where the team finished second only to Team USA in the medal table, collecting gold medals across a greater range of sports than any other nation. His first major event leading Team GB was the inaugural European Games in Baku in 2015 and he previously held the role of Deputy Chef de Mission at six Olympic Games, including London 2012.
So, what is a Chef de Mission exactly? A Chef de Mission’s role is to be in charge of a national team at an international sporting event. They have accountability for all team members during the event as well as acting as a spokesperson and mentor for the athletes, coaches, and staff.
It was fantastic to see Mark back at Leeds, where he was presented with his Hall of Fame board by Commercial Director, Robert Wadsworth.
Suzanne Glavin, Head of Sport said:
It was an absolute privilege to induct Mark into our sporting hall of fame. He was humbled to receive the recognition, chatting easily to our students and passing on invaluable advice for their future careers. Mark is and will continue to be a great friend and advocate of Sport & Physical Activity here at the University of Leeds.
As well as being presented with his hall of fame board, Mark also partook in a Q&A session with our scholars, passing on his wealth of knowledge and experience from his long and successful career in sport.
Mark’s board shall be displayed at our on-campus fitness facility, The Edge, alongside the other successful alumni who grace our halls.
