Access to sport, as a life skill.
In Dubai, where access defines who gets to take part, Jason works with Sep Academy to fund structured swimming for children who would otherwise be priced out. He also coaches youth football.
Sep Academy
Sep Academy is a Dubai swimming academy focused on grassroots inclusion and elite development. Jason sponsors the academy specifically to fund free swimming lessons for children from less privileged backgrounds.
His involvement began organically. After attending a public-holiday session with his own children, he noticed a coach working with a small group where one child went from being afraid of the water to visibly more confident inside a single lesson. That contrast in attention, structure and outcome led to a conversation with the coach about accessibility, and a long-term sponsorship grew from there.
What the sponsorship funds
- Free structured lessons for children from single-parent households or families facing financial constraints.
- Travel and competition access for talented young swimmers from under-resourced countries.
- Long-term, qualified coaching rather than symbolic programmes.
“Supporting access to swimming is not primarily about producing champions. It is about giving children confidence and security in the water.”
A coastal city where access is not automatic
Dubai is global and diverse. Families arrive from all over the world, often for work, and not everyone arrives with the same resources. In that context, access becomes uneven very quickly. Private academies can provide excellent sports training, but they are not automatically accessible to every child.
For some families, structured lessons are simply not affordable. That creates a gap with real consequences. Swimming, in a city defined by beaches and pools, is a life-saving skill before it is anything else.
Talent is widely distributed. Opportunity is not.
Through Sep Academy, Jason supports talented young swimmers in parts of the world where facilities, coaching and exposure are limited. That can mean sponsoring a training camp abroad or covering travel costs to compete.
Local access is about safety and opportunity. International development is about fairness. Both return to the same principle. Dubai is uniquely positioned to act as a bridge, with its infrastructure, coaching standards and connectivity. Even modest private interventions can change a trajectory.
Coaching the next generation
Volunteers as a youth football coach. Keeps him close to the ground and to the version of himself who grew up needing a mentor.
“I want to be the mentor to these kids that I didn't have growing up.”