London 2012 blog

Yesterday was a real trip down memory lane as I visited my home town, Sheffield.

On route to a visit to Tapton School, where I was a pupil way back when, we drove past my old house, which brought back one or two memories.

At Tapton we were welcomed by the Headmaster, David Bowes, Head Boy Joe Brownhill and Head Girl, Louise Heritage. I was surprised to find the school has been totally redone since I was there – the old building has gone and the new modern building isn’t quite on the same spot.

I'd been asked to speak at the school assembly and was more than happy to share some memories of my time at the school and the inspiration my teachers gave me. My most inpirational teacher, David Jackson, is now retired but came along to listen too - we've stayed in contact over the years and it was a pleasure to see him again. He used to let me nick out of RE lessons to run around the school fields because he undestood what I was trying to achieve with my athletics.

I shared with the pupils that it was at Tapton that I realised what I wanted to do in life and what I wanted to be - I remember being marched into the school hall to watch grainy black and white pictures of local athletes, John and Sheila Sherwood, winning Olympic medals at the Mexico Games (1968) and it inspired me to join my local athletics club, the Hallamshire Harriers. Sheila Sherwood actually gave me my first pair of running spikes.

I also shared my hopes for 2012 and the legacy it will leave. I hope some of what I said and some of what we're trying to achieve with London 2012 will inspire the pupils I met - and young people all over the UK - in the same way the Sherwoods inspired me as a boy.

I was delighted to present certificates to students receiving sporting awards.After the school it was off to Sheffield Town Hall, where I was honoured to unveil a plaque recognising me as a 'Sheffield Legend', along with other Sheffield personalities including Michael Palin, Jarvis Cocker and the astronaut Helen Sharman.

Again, I hope bringing sport into the spotlight in this kind of way is important if it will inspire people to find out more about athletics and sports and get active.

After a cup of tea and a scone with the Lord Mayor the final activity in Sheffield was at Hallam University to meet the brains behind SportsPulse - an organisation that links sport, technology and business together.

While there I met with Kristan Bromley of the Men’s Skeleton team (and who designed the sled) and Shelley Rudman who took that amazing silver in the Skeleton in Turin.

From Sheffield it was up M1 to Leeds Metropolitan University, to meet with representatives of the Yorkshire Committee for the 2012 Games, and senior people from Leeds working together to make the most of the Games.

It was an important opportunity to outline our progress on the project and discuss how Leeds - and Yorkshire as a whole - can be involved. It's vital to us that we maximise the benefits of the 2012 Games around the whole of the UK, not just London.

Then it was off for a whistlestop tour of the superb facilites at the University, which are used by a range of sports to train for elite performance.

After a round of media interviews, it was one final moment for nostalgia as we drove through Beckett Park in Leeds, bringing back memories of competing in the Frank Aaron race through the Park back when I was a student at Loughborough university. Those were the days...