As this action-packed summer of athletics and running continues, the imminent Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games give us chance to not just support our elite athletes on the biggest stage, but to recognise and highlight the contributions of the many who have helped them get there, and those who will be inspired by their performances.
The athletes representing Team GB and ParalympicsGB in the coming weeks are following in the footsteps of legends, whose performances are etched in the very fabric of British sport for eternity and whose feats continue to inspire the next generation of athletes working their way through our talent pathway programmes.
Thanks to the tireless work of countless volunteers who provide the foundations of our sporting structures at grassroots level across communities up and down the land, and the continued investment of lottery and commercial funding, these athletes will be able to showcase their talents on the most prestigious stage of all, to an enormous global audience.
At England Athletics we will be right behind every run, jump, and throw as it unfolds in Paris, but we are also mindful that each individual performance will inspire many others to begin their own journey towards delivering a personal best and to fulfil a potential whatever ability, background or aspiration an individual has.
That is why – almost two years ago – we created Personal Best Foundation, a charity aimed at removing barriers, addressing inequalities, and providing opportunities for young people of all backgrounds to realise their personal best.
I am extremely proud of the work of Personal Best Foundation, under the inspirational leadership of Chair Mark Lawrie, and Foundation Manager Amy Weaver Tyler. Approaching its second anniversary, it is making a genuine difference to the lives of many young people through the activation of pilot projects initiated in partnership with innovative and creative organisations, and through making grant awards to numerous community providers across England. If you do feel motivated support this amazing charity, please do get in touch or see their fundraising page.
We believe that the feats of our elite athletes in Paris over the coming weeks will truly inspire a nation and help to fuel the dreams of the next generation. Hopefully, it will also provide an opportunity to highlight the equally inspiring achievements of charities such as Personal Best Foundation in enhancing access, inclusion, and equality for disadvantaged young people. Both ends of a sporting system working in tandem to serve each other.
Away from Paris, congratulations to our partners UKA on the successful delivery of the weekend’s London Diamond League. This event has proved once again that we host excellent events in the UK, and this would have whetted the appetite of athletics fans across the nation ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Next month will see the return of the England Athletics-hosted Manchester International to the domestic calendar. If you are planning on attending this event, or indeed the inaugural Under 20 international fixture held in Windsor the weekend after, I hope that you continue to enjoy this magnificent summer of track and field as we move closer towards the Autumn period and a time when our attention and focus will switch to off track competition and towards an action packed cross country season – this period will also combine with our annual celebration of volunteering across the English regions with award evenings hosted by our Regional Councils across England.
I love this period in the year as we come together to recognise all that is positive about our sport and those who make it what it is.
Source link : https://www.englandathletics.org/news/ceo-blog-july-2024/
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Publish date : 2024-07-22 10:25:36
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