2012 Olympics Roadshow comes to Chester

Be inspired and get involved!’ was the message at the 2012 roadshow which came to Chester on 5 August....

The Cheshire and Warrington County Sports Partnership were delighted to support the 2012 Roadshow that took place in Chester on 5th August 2007.

Staff from Sport Cheshire were on hand to promote and provide further information about Clubs within the area. Taster sessions in Volleyball and Judo were popular and resulted in more membership enquiries.

2012 Olympic hopefuls like Cheshire rower Olivia Whitlam joined sporting celebrities including world champion medal winning gymnast Beth Tweddle and fencing champion James Williams to wow visitors to last Sunday’s London 2012 Roadshow.

The sun shone as shoppers and sightseers of all ages enjoyed taster sessions in a selection of Olympic sports, including rowing, fencing, volleyball and judo.  The sessions showcased some of the best locally based sports clubs including: Liverpool & Chester Fencing Clubs; Chester and Ellesmere Port Eels (Volleyball); as well as under 23 champion rowers from the area and champion Judo club members from Newton-le-Willows based SKK Judo and other clubs.

The five-hour extravaganza outside Chester Town Hall is part of a nation-wide roadshow to promote 2012 and to use the Games as an inspiration to get more people involved in sport.

Olivia Whitlam is the under 23s World Rowing Champion – and a serious 2012 hopeful - great news for GB Rowing and for sport in Cheshire.  She was joined by other champions who donned their GB kit and helped people get on rowing machines and compete against one another and the clock.

The rowing challenge scores show that there is a lot of talent here in Cheshire;’ said Olivia.

James Williams is a former UK number one fencer, Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist and has represented Great Britain at three Olympic Games. James introduced Beth Tweddle, the UK’s most successful ever gymnast, to his sport of fencing. Beth was happy to have a go and her natural agility was an obvious asset, although she was dwarved by James and his fellow champion fencers!

James said he was ‘delighted and very impressed’ with the skills and enthusiasm shown by some of the children and young people trying the sport for the first time. Several young people found out more about how to get involved at their local club.

Encouraging more people to get involved with sport is one of the key legacy objectives of the 2012 games.

Stewart Kellett, Regional Director Sport England NW: “With the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games just five years away, events like the 2012 Roadshow have the potential to inspire the next generation of North West champions like Olivia and encourage people in Chester, Cheshire and across the region to get involved in sport for life. A huge thank you goes to the champions and the clubs who showcased their talent at the Roadshow; and to everyone who got involved.’

Visitors to the Roadshow were also able to discover what sport would best suit them in the National Lottery’s Dream Statistics zone. Using information on height, weight and muscle strength, the interactive calculator offered guidance on sport selection and how to best achieve success

 For further information about the Olympics please visist http://www.london2012.com

Further photographs are available by contacting Sarah at Sport Cheshire on 01606 720485 or email events@sportcheshire.org