Meet the East London Sport Talent Pathway team
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Louis Annan
Head of East London Sport Talent Pathway
Louis is Head of the East London Sport Talent Pathway and leads on planning and organising the project, delivering workshops and mapping out the pathway strategy. Louis' background is in basketball. He attended Barking Abbey Basketball Academy in 2009 and studied at a prep school in the US before coming back to attend London South Bank University on a basketball scholarship. Outside of his role as Head of ELSTP he mentors and delivers skills sessions to some of the UK's top basketball players.
Louis' favourite athlete is Kyrie Irving because "he's one of the NBA's most-skilled players that isn't afraid to be himself and express his uniqueness on and off the basketball court."
Micah Watson-Gayle
East London Sport Talent Pathway Project Officer
Micah works alongside Louis to run the ELSTP. He works closely with coaches and parents, whilst assisting on the curriculum design for the programme and coaches' fora. Micah's background is in basketball. He completed his early studies in the USA before joining UEL’s High Performance Programme for his Bachelor's and Masters in Sports Science and Sports Management. Outside of the ELSTP he is a skill development coach for professional athletes and a FIBA Agent.
Micah’s favourite athlete is Kevin Durant. "He is the best scorer in the NBA, watching Kevin play basketball is like poetry in motion. I just find it amazing that a 7-footer can move like a guard. He is also unapologetically himself; he loves and focuses on the game."
Richard Avery
Applied Sport & Exercise Scientist
Richard is an Applied Sport & Exercise Scientist at UEL and an Accredited Sport & Exercise Scientist with the British Association of Sport & Exercise Sciences. Richard leads the athlete testing within the Applied Sport & Exercise Science laboratories, which includes a range of health, fitness and performance tests tailored to individual athletes.
His favourite athlete is Michael Jordan. “He acknowledged how important failure is and how we should all learn from our mistakes, in his quote: "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
Kara-Aretha Graham
Applied Sport & Exercise Scientist Lecturer
Kara is a Foundation Year Course Leader for Applied Sport and Exercise Science and former NCAA track and field athlete with an impressive record including:
- 2 time All Big Ten athlete
- MVC Team Champion
- NCAA first round qualifier
- Former NCAA Assistant track and field coach
Kara will be leading on Sport Psychology coaching and support for the athletes on the ELSTP. Her favourite athlete is Scottie Pippen – the unsung hero of the Chicago Bulls during Jordan's era. "He was instrumental in the success of the Bulls, was under paid and kept showing up, wasn't respected and kept showing up."
Duncan Ogilvie
Strength & Conditioning Coach
Coach Duncan is a UKSCA and NSCA qualified strength and conditioning specialist with an MSc in Sports and Exercise Science. He's a former England International and professional Basketball player with over 12 years' experience coaching high performance athletes, including multiple Olympians. Our ELSTP athletes are in safe hands when it comes to their strength and conditioning training which will be lead by Duncan. Duncan says his favourite athletes are "the ones I work directly with, who have the hunger to be the best versions of themselves."
Katie Ewing
Athlete Development and Dual Career Support
Katie is a practitioner in Sport and Exercise Nutrition and a National Trainer for UK Anti-Doping. Her current role at UEL is to support scholar athletes in balancing their sporting career with their studies. For the Talent Pathway, Katie will be providing nutrition advice, teaching them about anti-doping and supporting them to develop and achieve a balanced dual career.
Her favourite athlete is Jessica Ennis-Hill, she says "I admire her accomplishments as a British female athlete and openness regarding her return to athletics after becoming a mother. It is just one example of the challenges athletes face with key transitions in their lives and demonstrates the importance of athlete support".
Enitan Shofolahan
Athlete Lifestyle Support Services
Eni is a former Thai Boxer who has competed at amateur and professional level. Eni's role involves supporting the athlete's mental well-being, listening to their concerns both in and out of their sport, and providing them with advice and support. Athletes will have the chance to book 1:1 slots with Eni as part of their Talent Pathway package.
Eni's favourite athlete is Floyd Mayweather. "He achieved multiple successes in the ring by skilfully and tactically outboxing serious contenders. He has continued to impress me over the years by connecting with a younger audience and having a positive impact on the number of young athletes taking up boxing for fitness and competitively."
Kaitlann
Programme Assistant
I'm Kaitlann, an East London-based Strength and Conditioning graduate and proud Programme Assistant at East London Talent Pathway. I will be a point of contact for parents and athletes & will managing social media. With a passion for basketball, I'm dedicated to supporting female athletes.
