This April, Sir Ben Ainslie is taking on a new sporting challenge. The world’s most decorated Olympic sailor will tackle the 2026 TCS London Marathon. Like thousands of everyday runners who will line up alongside him, Ben is not a marathon runner – stepping outside his comfort zone, he will push himself physically and mentally to complete the 26.2 mile course, as he runs to raise awareness and funds for the 1851 Trust, a charity he founded over a decade ago.
“I’m not a runner,” said Sir Ben. “But that’s the whole point. Every young person the 1851 Trust works with is standing at the start of something that might feel too big, too hard, or too far out of reach. I want them to see that sometimes you need to challenge yourself, you just have to start.”
Since 2014, the 1851 Trust has been on a mission to change the way young people learn in the classroom and beyond, taking the universal language of sport and using it to make STEM subjects click.
“I didn’t find STEM subjects easy at school, what I didn’t realise was that every time I stepped onto a boat, I was using maths and science in everything I did. Once I saw science in action and how it worked beyond the textbook, I understood it. That’s why we set up the 1851 Trust.”
Sir Ben Ainslie, 1851 Trust Patron
The same principle applies to the marathon. It is an exercise in physics, biology, and maths. Every training session is an experiment; every mile is valuable data. Running a marathon is, in its own way, applied science.
For schools to explore this idea further, the 1851 Trust has a series of three exciting STEM resources for students inspired by the extraordinary attempt of Eliud Kipchoge to break the two-hour marathon barrier. These resources dive into key elements that shaped the project, including pacemakers, nutrition, and course selection. Through practical activities in physics, biology, and maths, they will analyse performance, test ideas, and uncover the science behind one of the greatest sporting challenges ever attempted. Teachers can explore these free resource at www.stemcrew.org/159challenge
The 1851 Trust has seen that when young people are shown how science works beyond the textbook – how it lives in the real world, in real sport, in real athletes and engineers doing extraordinary things – they see the world differently.
Sir Ben Ainslie is taking on the London Marathon to ensure young people understand one powerful truth: there are no limits on their potential.
Support Sir Ben’s Marathon, funds raised will directly support the 1851 Trust’s mission across the UK.
Jo Grindley’s career has been a diverse journey and not always plain sailing, from international banking to the British Sailing Team, from journalism to founding a sports marketing agency, from athlete agent to America’s Cup team builder, and now CEO of the 1851 Trust and a driving force behind Athena Sports Group, she has, as she puts it, learned by doing at every turn.
On International Women’s Day, we sat down with Jo to talk about dyslexia as a superpower, the courage it takes to change course, and using her voice to support others and accelerate change.
You’ve had an extraordinarily varied career. Where did it all begin?
Honestly, it began with not knowing. At 18, I had no idea what I was good at. I went to the US, started a degree, didn’t finish it, came back to the UK, and walked into a job at an international bank. I stayed for eight years. Then the opportunity came to pursue Olympic sailing, and most people would have looked at a stable career with a clear path ahead and said I can’t walk away from this, but I jumped in with both feet.
I funded myself by working as a journalist, learning PR, picking up marketing wherever I could. When I stopped competing, I had a new collection of skills and at 30 with two small children I took a leap of faith and started a sports marketing agency. Ben Ainslie had just won his first Olympic gold in Sydney and became one of my first clients, and I worked as his agent through his next three Olympic campaigns. That relationship has now lasted over 25 years and eventually led to building an America’s Cup team, a SailGP team, Women’s and Youth America’s Cup teams and a charity the 1851 Trust.
Tell us about the 1851 Trust
When we setup the America’s Cup team it was important to find the impact we could have through the sport, we know how sport can unite and inspire, so we setup the 1851 Trust. It was about how we could give young people a world class education and opportunity to learn differently in real life contexts. We created learning experiences built around the science, technology, engineering and maths behind high performance sport. Watching a foiling boat fly and understanding why that’s happening. That’s physics in action. Put physics in a textbook in front of me and I struggle. Show it to me, and I understand it immediately. For so many young people, that’s the difference between switching on and switching off and through the 1851 Trust we want to create the access and opportunity to change this.You’ve spoken openly about being dyslexic. How did that shape you?
Everyone has a superpower, and you just need to give people the confidence to find it. For everyone to perform at their best they require something different, the space and creativity to excel and once you find that there is no limit to what you can achieve, and that’s something we’re passionate about supporting through the 1851 Trust.
You’ve spoken openly about being dyslexic. How did that shape you?
School wasn’t easy place for me, I was dyslexic. the environment valued academia, spelling tests and all learning was from a textbook with people talking at you. I was different, and none of that worked for me. What I have come to understand is that dyslexia gave me a different more creative way of thinking, it’s genuinely a superpower, it just took me a little while to recognise that. Everyone has a superpower, and you just need to give people the confidence to find it. For everyone to perform at their best they require something different, the space and creativity to excel and once you find that there is no limit to what you can achieve, and that’s something we’re passionate about supporting through the 1851 Trust.
You work alongside some of sailing’s greatest athletes — Ben Ainslie, Hannah Mills. What unites them?
A genuine commitment to giving back. Ben is groundbreaking in every sense, the most decorated Olympic sailor in history, the founder of a multi-sport sailing group, but what strikes me most about him is that he’s never stopped asking what more he can do, not just for himself, but for the sport and for the young people coming through. Hannah is the same. They both understand that the platform they’ve built carries a responsibility.
That’s the vision we all share: to make sailing truly representative of society.
Do you think sailing a progressive sport for women?
In some ways yes, we’re one of the few sports where men and women can compete on a level playing field, the momentum is building. Our sport is changing and there are more opportunities for women, and I understand the responsibility within the roles that I have to support more women to excel in this sport that we love, hopefully we can make a difference in the future to have a more diverse sport. The progress is more clearly seen in the athletes and quotas within teams, but that isn’t reflected in the same way of diversity in management teams and boards, so I would love to see a more diverse group of people represented to move the impact that sport can have further forward. Everyone thinks slightly differently and if you have the same group of people thinking the same way and you’re trying to solve a problem then you’re probably going to come up with the same answers. You need people to challenge and think differently to ensure you covering all bases to achieve your goals.
Is there anything you wish you’d done differently?
I wish I’d used my voice sooner. Action and words matter they create permission for others and accelerate change. As my career progressed one of the most meaningful parts is to watch the growth in others, and to be able to give back where I can to see them become the best versions of themselves. Sport is about continuous learning, it has been a very male dominated arena, but things are changing, and I hope I support this change.
What advice would you give to a young woman starting out?
Try everything, don’t let stereotypes narrow your horizon because of stereotypes. Anyone can do anything it’s what you choose to do and what your superpower is and what you’re good at. Don’t be afraid of change, don’t get complacent – strive to be better and not to settle. Life is a continual learning process, I’m learning AI right now, something that comes naturally to my daughters, but something I’m having to re-learn, life moves at pace and you have to move with it.
One word to describe yourself?
Determined. I have a dogged determination to use whatever platform I have to create impact on the things I really care about: whether it’s the environment, young people, and the empowerment of women. That’s what keeps me motivated – alongside winning.
Jo Grindley is CEO of the 1851 Trust and CMO/COO of the Athena Sports Group. The 1851 Trust believes every young person deserves access to a world-class education, real learning, rooted in the real world. Because potential isn’t rare, the opportunity to unlock it is. We’re on a mission to inspire the next generation of innovators, leaders, and problem-solvers. The 1851 Trust works with young people across the UK and globally delivering digital and live STEM education for young people aged 8-16. Trusted by over 42% of UK secondary schools and taught across 31 countries.
