Last month, 45 aspiring athletes took a step towards their dreams of becoming elite athletes by learning directly from Olympians at a special mentoring event, held at the iconic London Aquatics Centre.
The mentoring event, held on Wednesday, August 28, coincided with the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games.
Aspiring athletes had the opportunity to interact with Olympic medallists, including Richard Kilty, fresh from his bronze-winning performance in the men’s 100m sprint relay at the Paris Olympics just last month.
Olympic sprint star Colin Jackson hosted the event, along with fellow panellists, taekwondo athlete Lutalo Muhammad and sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.
The group shared advice with the young athletes on mental resilience, handling the pressures of competition, bouncing back from injuries, and even media training.
The Olympic medallists all serve as mentors in Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions programme, a nationwide initiative aimed at developing and supporting promising young athletes across the country.
The event at the London Aquatics Centre marks a significant moment for Everyone Active, which began managing the venue in March of this year. It’s one of three mentoring events scheduled for 2024 as part of the Sporting Champions programme, highlighting Everyone Active’s commitment to nurturing local sporting talent.
Archie Newbold, a 13-year-old footballer in the England Cerebral Palsy pathway, said: “It was a great day and amazing insight into what it takes to become elite in sport.
He added: “I really enjoyed listening to the team discuss how their careers started and what things they had in place at a similar stage to myself. It gave me so many ideas I can go away and work on with my coaches to help improve my game!”
Paris Fairhurst, a 14-year-old swimmer, also found the experience beneficial: “I found it very exciting meeting the elite athletes and ambassadors who have achieved so much and were all very friendly. I really enjoyed the presentations and getting lots of tips especially the media training to hopefully use in the future.”
Chris Wells, Everyone Active’s Contract Manager, said: “We are thrilled to have hosted this mentoring event at the London Aquatics Centre, a venue that really embodies the spirit of athletic achievement.
“We hope that these young athletes are now better equipped to navigate the challenges of elite sports, thanks to the wisdom and experience shared by their Olympic mentors, and we’re proud to support their journey through the Sporting Champions programme.”
In addition to mentoring events, the Sporting Champions programme offers aspiring athletes free access to more than 230 leisure facilities across the country, providing them with the resources they need to train and develop their skills.
In addition to the four sporting stars at last week’s event, Everyone Active’s panel of elite athletes also includes Maisie Summers-Newton, Lauren Steadman and Jennifer and Jessica Gadirova – all of which participate in guiding and mentoring aspiring athletes on the programme.
The entire panel of elite athletes is scheduled to convene in October for another mentoring event at Porchester Hall, Bayswater. This mentoring day will be coupled with an annual awards ceremony, recognising the outstanding achievements of the young athletes participating in the Sporting Champions scheme.
Everyone Active manages the London Aquatics Centre at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in partnership with the London Legacy Development Corporation.
To find out more about the Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions scheme, visit www.easportingchampions.com or follow @easportingchamps on Instagram. For further information on Everyone Active, visit www.everyoneactive.com
