Virtus launches new Anti-Doping Guides to support athletes and athlete support personnel
Virtus is delighted to launch two new Anti-Doping Guides for athletes with an intellectual disability and Athlete Support Personnel as part of the 2026 Virtus Anti-Doping Awareness Program, reinforcing its commitment to protecting clean sport through accessible and inclusive education.
Developed specifically for athletes with an intellectual disability, the guides provide clear and practical information to help athletes, coaches, parents, team managers and support staff understand their anti-doping rights and responsibilities and make informed decisions to protect the integrity of sport.
Recognising that traditional anti-doping materials can often be difficult to understand for athletes with an intellectual disability, the guides have been designed using accessible communication principles, simple language and visual elements to make anti-doping education easier to understand and apply in practice.
“Anti-doping can be a complex subject, and we recognise that traditional educational materials are not always accessible for athletes with an intellectual disability. These new Guides provide practical and easy-to-understand information to help athletes and their support teams protect clean sport. We hope they will support a more informed sporting community and help more athletes access the knowledge they need to compete clean”, said Juliana Soares, Virtus Anti-doping manager.
The guides can be viewed and downloaded from the 2026 Virtus Anti-Doping Awareness Program page. They are currently available in English, French and Spanish, ensuring greater accessibility for members across the global Virtus community. Additional language versions can also be translated and made available upon request to support the needs of national member organisations and athletes around the world.
The publications were created through the collaborative efforts of the Virtus Anti-Doping Education Team, led by Juliana Soares, Virtus’ Anti-Doping Manager. The team consisted of anti-doping education volunteers Ruth Cidade and Adriana Nascimento de Souza, who contributed to the content of the guidebooks. Virtus Marketing and Communication manager, Mousumi Mazumdar, was also part of the team and contributed to the project’s inclusive communication and graphic design.
Commenting on the launch, Virtus President Robyn Smith OAM said:
“I want to call on all members of our family – athletes, coaches and support staff – to read these fantastic new guides and to help protect athletes with an intellectual disability. This is a very important part of our work where we have a strong track record – one that I am very proud of – but there is always more that we can do. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in writing and designing these new guides, and I look forward to seeing you all at a Virtus competition soon.“
The launch of the guides forms part of the third edition of the Virtus Anti-Doping Awareness Program, which continues to provide accessible and engaging education opportunities for athletes with an intellectual disability and autism, as well as the wider support network that plays a vital role in protecting clean sport.
Virtus encourages all athletes and Athlete Support Personnel to download, read and share the guides within their organisations and teams as part of their ongoing commitment to competing clean and protecting the values of fair play.
As Virtus marks its 40th anniversary, these new Guides reflect our ongoing commitment to ensuring that every athlete with an intellectual disability has access to the education and support needed to participate in clean sport with confidence. Virtus also extends its sincere thanks to the members of the Anti-Doping Education Team, whose dedication, expertise and commitment to inclusive communication have made these resources possible.
