This morning a special celebration to mark 100 days to the London 2012 Olympic Games took place at Humberstone Gate. Over 100 children from three local primary schools braved the rain and cold to take part in a number of sporting activities including basketball, sprinting and tennis. Special guest GB basketball captain Drew Sullivan was in attendance to open the event.
The Celebrate 100 days to go to the Olympics event was developed by a number of local organisations including Leicester Sports Partnership Trust, Leicester City Council Sports Services, Leicester-Shire and Rutland Sport, NHS Leicester City and Inspire LeicesterShire.
Shimul Haider, 2012 Games Legacy Director for Leicester and Leicestershire said
The weather has been atrocious today but the kids have been real stars taking part in the physical activities. As part of the Legacy Team we are interested in what is going to happen in years to come when the Olympics are over. We want more people to be physically active, to take up sport and live healthier lifestyles.
At 11.30am the schoolchildren released 100 white balloons into the air. Each of the balloons had the children’s own personal pledge to make a positive improvement in their lives.
Gaynor Nash, Regional Co-ordinator for the Children & Young People’s Legacy for the 2012 Games said
The Olympic values of respect, excellence and friendship are something that all schools should be trying to instil in young people. The pledges the kids released into the air today are not just concerned with sport but also in other areas such as aiming to improve their maths or reading skills.
Deputy City Mayor Rory Palmer was also in attendance, he said “Whilst the Olympics are primarily about sport they are also about celebrating diversity, what better place to do that than in multicultural Leicester .”
One of the main aspects of the Inspire LeicesterShire’s legacy programme is to introduce children and young people to elite athletes to motivate and inspire them to take up sport. The schoolchildren taking part in today’s event where lucky enough to meet Leicester Riders player and the captain of the GB basketball team Drew Sullivan. Drew spoke to the children about the importance of the three Olympic values of respect, excellence and friendship. He also answered their questions and told them that success can only be achieved with a great deal of “hard work and dedication”.
Cheroc, 10, from Parks Primary School said “I enjoyed today even though it was really cold. I liked playing tennis most of all because my team kept winning. It was really cool to be meet Drew and be able to ask him questions”.
For more information about Inspire LeicesterShire please visit: www.InspireLeics.org.uk
