Tameside welcomes Olympic legend

Press Release Date: 2nd July 2010

World record holder and former Olympic champion Jonathan Edwards CBE visited Tameside at the beginning of July to see how the borough is preparing for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The former triple jump champion visited Fairfield High School in Droylsden  to see how pupils there are being inspired by the forthcoming games and how Tameside as a borough is working towards a great Olympic legacy for all its residents.

Edwards, who is the London 2012 Nations and Regions Group Deputy Chair, was shown how pupils at Fairfield have been celebrating national school sports week with a week-long programme of lessons linked to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Tameside’s dedicated Olympic legacy team were also on hand to showcase a range of projects, linked to Tameside's Olympic Legacy plan, that have been inspired by the London 2012 Games including a countryside marathon walk, volunteer festival and last week’s Big Dance event which took place on Ashton’s market ground.

He also met some of the borough’s top level sports performers including Georgia Taylor-Brown (GB Olympic talent triathlon squad/set to compete at the World Schools X-Country), Hannah Mitchell (World Champion Sailor), Megan Brocklehurst and Julie Walley (England Junior Volleyball players) and Sarah Hutchinson (U18s GB Ice Hockey) who are all pupils at Fairfield.

The visit to Tameside was part of a day-long tour to Greater Manchester, co-ordinated by GreaterSport - Greater Manchester's Sports Partnership , to see how the region is preparing for the London 20102 Olympic and Paralympic games with special focus on the lasting legacy of the games on the area.

Jonathan Edwards said: “The Greater Manchester area is renowned for its dedication and passion to sport and I am delighted to be launching the plan for Greater Manchester to create a lasting legacy of the Games and to see how some of the other projects in the area are inspiring young people to go beyond their personal best.

Assistant Executive Member for Sport and Leisure Councillor Dawson Lane said: “This visit was a great way of highlighting the work we are doing across the whole of Tameside to promote the London 2012 Olympics and the legacy it will leave for Tameside.

“We are keen to promote not just the sporting, but also the cultural element of the up-coming games and pupils here at Fairfield have proved through lessons on the history and ideals of the games and by making traditional foods from a range of competing nations that the Games have a much wider cultural role that everyone can get involved in.”

The Tameside Olympic Legacy action plan is a two-year programme of events and initiatives inspired by the Olympics to help Tameside residents become part of London 2012.

To view the plan and for more information about Tameside’s Olympic legacy visit www.tameside.gov.uk/olympiclegacy

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