Impact Sport and Stanbic Bank have launched a new phase of an athlete empowerment programme aimed at helping active and retired sportspeople manage their earnings, develop businesses and prepare for life after competition.

The training, held on Monday, October 19, at Umoja House in Kampala, brought together athletes for sessions on budgeting, savings, debt management, investment awareness, financial planning and mental wellness under the Beyond The Finish programme.

The initiative comes amid growing calls for athletes to plan for their financial futures while still competing, given that sporting careers can be shortened by injury, age, declining performance or the loss of contracts and sponsorship opportunities.

Uganda’s 2012 Olympic marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich, who has since turned to farming, has previously urged athletes to save and invest while active, arguing that income from sport may not last throughout their working lives.

The Beyond The Finish programme seeks to address this challenge by combining financial literacy with practical business development support.

The training is being delivered through a partnership with Stanbic Bank’s Stanbic Business Incubator and Stanbic Financial Fitness Academy, while Safe Places led the session on mental wellness, safeguarding, personal wellbeing and available support services.

Participants explored how to translate their sporting experience, personal brands and transferable skills into business ventures and alternative income streams.

The programme also introduced participants to a structured, one-month business coaching and mentorship phase intended to help them develop their ideas and strengthen their businesses.

Organisers have proposed follow-up sessions covering business development from idea to growth, business management and a progress showcase, with dates scheduled from October 30 through November, subject to final alignment.

Andrew Mwanguhya, a journalist and team lead at Impact Sport, said the programme was intended to help athletes prepare for the financial and personal demands of life beyond competition.

“At Impact Sport, we believe sport should not end at the finish line,” Mwanguhya said.

He said the organisation’s work through Beyond The Finish, The Legends Marathon and sports storytelling was intended to celebrate achievement, prepare athletes for life beyond competition and preserve Uganda’s sporting heritage.

“This training is about turning that commitment into practical support, helping athletes build financial resilience, explore business opportunities and approach their futures with greater confidence,” he said.

The emphasis on financial planning reflects a wider challenge in athlete welfare: sporting success does not automatically translate into long-term financial security.

Athletes may need to manage irregular earnings, support dependants, meet training and travel costs, and invest in alternative careers while maintaining their sporting commitments.

Financial education can help participants assess risks before investing, manage debt and develop budgets that account for periods when competition earnings are reduced or stop altogether.

Business coaching can also help turn an idea into a more structured enterprise, although outcomes will depend on participants’ resources, decisions and access to markets.

The programme’s inclusion of mental wellness and safeguarding also recognises that athletes face challenges beyond financial management, including the pressure of competition, personal wellbeing and the transition away from elite sport.

Stanbic’s involvement brings together financial education and business incubation, while the mentorship component is intended to extend support beyond the initial workshop.

The planned progress showcase is expected to provide an opportunity for participants to present developments in their business ideas following the coaching phase.

For the organisers, the broader objective is to ensure that athletes can build sustainable livelihoods alongside their sporting careers and carry their experience, discipline and public profiles into other areas of economic activity.