On 20 December - 20:12 day - a group of sporting stars who have represented Great Britain in past Olympic and Paralympic Games met up with some of Greenwich’s young sporting elite to look forward to the London Games.
Mayor of Greenwich, Cllr Harpinder Singh, hosted the Future Champions reception at Woolwich Town Hall. All of the former sporting stars who attended either live in Greenwich or have strong ties with the borough. They included:
- John Baker - British Olympic Diving team member, Munich 1972
- Vicki Dunn - British Olympic Judo team member, Sydney 2000
- Dervis Konuralp - British Paralympic Swimming Bronze medal winner, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004; BBC Southeast Disabled Sports Personality 2004
- Emma Luxford - Gold Medal winner in Judo, European Youth Olympics, Lisbon 1997
- Jim Muirhead - British Paralympic Swimming Gold and Silver medal winner Montreal 1976, Gold and Silver medal winner Arnhem 1980, Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winner New York 1984.
They offered tips and inspiration to around a dozen young athletes who are hoping to represent the borough in the 2012 London Games.
Great motivator
Cllr John Fahy, Cabinet Member for Sport, Culture and the Olympics, said, "For more than a century, since the Modern Games were founded, taking part in the Olympic Games has represented the greatest pinnacle of achievement that any athlete can reach.
"We are greatly honoured to have a number of people living in the borough who have performed at that level, and hope that their achievement will provide inspiration to those youngsters who are now in training.
"The fact that Greenwich is one of the boroughs that will host the 2012 Games is already acting as a great motivator for young people who truly believe that – with the right level of support and coaching – they can take part, and succeed, in those Games."
New charity
A new charity, Greenwich Starting Blocks, is currently being established to support young athletes in the borough. It will provide bursaries to offer athletes the chance to develop their talents and improve their chances of competing in the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
Do you know any former Olympians?
If you know of anyone with a local connection who has performed in, or had involvement in, past Games, please ask them to contact us using the details on the right.
21 December 2006