Sport is an integral part of Australian culture. Athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, spectators and other personnel involved in sport spend prolonged periods of time outdoors. Consequently, participation in outdoor sport exposes athletes and support staff to increased levels of UV radiation from the sun with associated increased risk of sun damage, sunburn, and skin cancer. In December 2023, the Australian Institute of Sport, in collaboration with Paddle Australia, Cancer Council, ARPANSA and the Melanoma Institute Australia released the Sun Safe Sports Position Statement. The goal of this position statement is to assist sporting organisations to recognise the inherent risk of UV radiation exposure in their sport and provide guidance on how to implement sun safe practices.
Training in the outdoor environment presents unique challenges for elite athletes in reducing UV exposure without compromising their training. These include engineering challenges of built shade availability, availability of appropriate PPE for training, timing of training during the day to reduce sun exposure and enhancing education of athletes, support staff, coaches and volunteers. This session will present current challenges to reducing sun exposure in elite sport environments, future directions for policy and resources, and hear from a former elite athlete about their lived melanoma experience while competing.