Local children benefit from  pro athlete

Three-times Olympian and UK javelin record-holder Goldie Sayers visited Greenford High School (Tuesday 28 January) to cheer on teams from eight schools taking part in the Ealing Sportshall Athletics competition.

Her visit was part of the Balfour Beatty London Youth Games ‘Big Kick Off Week’, highlighting a whole range of competitions and volunteer events taking place throughout London leading towards Europe’s largest annual youth sports event.

There were over 120 Year 7 students at the event competing to represent Ealing at the London Youth Games. Ten-times UK champion Sayers mingled with the competitors, posing for countless photos. She also took part in a question and answer session where she revealed that she was at her most nervous when competing at school.

She said: “I think Sportshall athletics is brilliant. It’s a great stepping stone into learning about competing and doing the best and maybe finding an event you didn’t know you were good at. The attitude of the kids has really impressed me, they are all supporting each other and enjoying what they are doing.

“You see talent all over the place, I’ve seen good runners and jumpers. A lot of time you might be the best in your school, but you don’t know you are the best in London. One of the kids here might go on to be the best at the London Youth Games, they might realise ‘wow, I am quite good’ and it could lead to an athletics career.”

Drayton Manor and Greenford High who won the girls’ and boys’ competitions respectively to win through to the regional qualifiers at Osterley Leisure Centre on 3 March, where they will bid to go all the way to the city-wide finals at Crystal Palace on Tuesday 1 April.

To find out more about the competing or volunteering at London Youth Games, visit londonyouthgames.org or follow @ldnyouthgames or @EalingCouncil

29th January 2014