Behind the Games: how anti-doping educators are preparing athletes for Glasgow 2026

When the Commonwealth Games came to Glasgow in 2014, Sarah Gandon was in the stands as team manager for England Netball, attending anti-doping education sessions ahead of the competition. Twelve years later, she is the one delivering them. 

"I always try to bring the education to life," she says. "Because anti-doping is genuinely interesting. You just need to find the right way to engage with the athletes." 

That belief has guided Sarah since she qualified as an educator and took on her national trainer role with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD). She works with athletes and support staff across Scotland and the Home Nations, and is one of the experts behind UKAD's Clean Games programme - a dedicated anti-doping education initiative running ahead of this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. 

The sessions Sarah has helped shape are built around real stories and the responsibilities that athletes face in relation to their medication, nutrition and use of supplements, as well as understanding their anti-doping rights.  

"These sessions help athletes who want to compete clean to make sure they do not accidentally do something wrong," Sarah says. "It is about giving athletes the knowledge and confidence to go into competition feeling prepared." 

That preparation takes on a different quality when competition is weeks rather than months away. Athletes with a genuine medical need must have the correct therapeutic use exemption in place. They need to understand when substances are and are not permitted, and to take a careful, informed approach to supplements. "Risk will never go down to zero," Sarah says, "but athletes can draw real confidence from following a risk minimisation programme and taking consistent, informed steps before deciding to use supplements." 

UKAD's approach is values-led, but Sarah is clear that values cannot simply be handed to athletes in a session. "We hope that UKAD's 100% me values (Passion, Respect, Integrity, Determination, Enjoyment) ring true to the athlete’s own values. The best sessions are the ones where athletes leave feeling more confident in what they already believe." 

That confidence extends to speaking up about doping. Sarah has a personal reason to care about this. A close friend was part of the British bobsleigh team affected by the Sochi 2014 doping scandal and missed out on a medal as a result. "Every member of that team felt something was wrong, even if they could not say exactly what. Sometimes you just know. Reporting that feeling, however small, is important for the integrity of the sport. It can be the piece that helps investigators join the dots." 

The conversations Sarah values most often happen at the other end of the age spectrum. "Just talking with younger athletes about values, about what they are putting in their bodies, that matters enormously,” she says, "Parents need that knowledge too. Kids are so influenced by what they see on social media. That conversation has to start early." 

She is candid about the impact athletes have on young people, and the role of social media. "In football, if Ronaldo posts about a supplement he took last night, every kid who idolises him is going straight to their parents asking for it," she says. "Athletes might think they are speaking to adults most of the time. But not always. There are kids watching how the athlete acts, what they take and how they approach their sport. That responsibility to role model clean sport does not disappear when the education session ends. And with social media misinformation commonplace, having UKAD as the trusted place for athletes to go for information is so important." 

The anti-doping landscape shifts constantly and Sarah's sessions reflect that. "Last week an athlete asked me about supplement patches," she says. "They are quite new to the market. In my role, you can be asked something you have never been asked before. You have to be ready for that." 

With the Games arriving in the city she grew up in, Sarah sees this as a moment to show what is possible on and off the field of play. "I hope the athletes' performances take centre stage and that everyone in attendance feels genuinely welcomed," she says. "Glasgow has so much to offer. This is a chance to show that to the world." 

UKAD is delivering the anti-doping programme for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. This includes running the Anti-Doping Taskforce, providing accessible Games specific education, and an intelligence led, risk-based testing programme - helping to give athletes and the public confidence in clean sport.