The great thing about our Nations and Regions visits of course is getting hands on experience of grassroots sport. Together with Shona Robison MSP, Scottish Minister for Public Health and Sport, and Louise Martin, Chair of sportscotland and bid leader for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and now its Vice Chair, I got the chance to take a mountain bike on a loop around the magnificent Queen of the South Bridge. 
I also meet Ryan Fenwick and Ross Green who are cousins and members of the British Cycling Talent ID team who race locally and represent part of the next generation of Scottish passion and ability for Cycling. 
This is the reason London 2012 puts such a premium on inspiring young people with sport and with Glasgow 2014 hard on our heels then the outlook for sporting legacy in places like Dumfries and Galloway really is bright.
The next part of the day showed the different aspects of our project. Moving on from the bridge we arrived at Lochside Primary School where the pioneering cycling teaching we saw had won them the Cycle Friendly School Award. 
Then after some questions asked with the frankness that only comes from an interrogation by 10 year olds, I was very impressed with a demonstration of healthy food preparation in the cooking bus in their school car park. Home economics wasn't like this when I was at school but it shows how new initiatives can support a positive change in lifestyle.
That was something repeated at the last stop of the day in the DG One Leisure Centre. The main hall was abuzz with six different activities. Children were engaged in pre school gymnastics, boxing techniques as well as Curling and Ice Hockey - without the ice. Fittingly for LOCOG Diversity Week the hall also had seniors Badminton and Indoor Bowls. That's cross community participation at its best.
Meeting more young aspiring elite athletes from the worlds of Rugby, Curling, Golf, Mountain Biking and Cycling it was great to hear about their determination to push themselves for success.
With facilities like the DG One Leisure Centre there is certainly great potential in the area. As one of London Organising Committee's potential Pre-Games Training Camps it could also play a formal role for London 2012. Indeed with Glasgow taking the spotlight so soon afterwards wouldn't it be fantastic if a Commonwealth nation signed up for both.
I hope that can be another benefit for the area but what today definitely proves is there are new facilities alongside passionate, talented athletes, coaches and administrators all over the country and that is a key building block to make the most out of opportunities like London 2012 and Glasgow 2014.
