London 2012 blog

Yesterday I was in Newcastle as part of the UK-wide announcement of the successful sporting facilities which will be included in our Pre-Games Training Camp Guide. I popped into the Benfield Gymnastics Centre in the Walkergate part of town to present them with their certificate to mark their inclusion in the guide. 

Through my work with Sport England and because my daughter is into gymnastics, I was vaguely aware of the centre, but I was really taken aback when I saw it in person. It was a real ‘hidden gem’, a fantastic facility – and from what I saw yesterday, producing some real talent too.  The centre – and 18 other venues in the North East – are now part of the guide which will be available to all the 205 Olympic Committees across the world, who may wish to send their teams or indeed just some of their athletes to the UK to train ahead of the Games. 

So what does this mean for Benfield Gymnastics Centre, the other chosen facilities and the region itself? The benefits aren’t necessarily economic – although potentially having an international team spending in the area won’t do any harm. Having elite athletes in the region will give opportunities for schools, sporting clubs and athletes in the area to create sporting and cultural links and of course there may be opportunities for local elite athletes to train alongside them. 

Having experienced the other side as an athlete, it’s a wonderful opportunity for the visitors to get to know the local people, the region and find out about a new country. When we were in Australia, we went into schools, we went to dinner with local families and it really added to the experience for me. Finally, I think it’s great for the North East to know that there are so many facilities which are suitable for elite athletes or budding elite athletes – and fabulous for any young hopefuls in the region who know that there are places and coaching where they live to help them on their way. 

So here’s where the hard graft starts – not just in the North East, but all over the UK Facilities and the regions as a whole need to start marketing themselves to the National Olympic Committees and ensure that come 2012, these wonderful venues are hosting teams and reaping the benefits for themselves, local athletes and the community.