Jessica Ennis becomes Ambassador for Sky Sports Living for Sport
Sky today announced that Olympic Gold Medallist Jessica Ennis has become an Ambassador of Sky Sports Living for Sport.
The UK-wide initiative uses professional athletes and sport
skills to improve the lives of thousands of young people across the
UK. The free initiative, which is open to all secondary schools, is
run in partnership with the charity Youth Sport Trust.
As a national sporting hero, Jessica will be a crucial role model
and inspiration to young people and schools that take part in Sky
Sports Living for Sport. She will also champion the work of the 50
other professional athletes who use their life changing stories and
sports skills to motivate students in schools to be more engaged,
learn new skills, team work and achieve better grades.
Olympic Gold Medallist and Sky Sports Living for Sport Ambassador
Jessica Ennis said: "I want to use the momentum we all gained from
the Team GB's performance at the Olympic Games to show that sport
really can make a difference to young people's lives in so many
ways. Sport has the power to help build confidence,
self-respect and improve behaviour. Sky Sports Living for Sport is
using sport to do just that and that's why I am really excited to
have teamed up with them to get more schools all over the UK to
join up.
Over the next few months I am looking forward to getting out there
and engaging with lots of schools and young people to encourage
them to give different sports a try - I can't wait!"
This academic year, a third of all secondary schools in the UK
will get involved in Sky Sports Living for Sport and since the
initiative launched in 2003 over 50,000 young people have
benefitted by using sport to improve their lives. The key areas of
focus for the initiative are: attainment and achievement, health
and wellbeing, self-esteem and encouraging pupils to reach their
full potential.This has resulted in significant positive changes in
the young people involved, including:
- 96% showing improvements in self-confidence
- 96% showing improvements in attitudes to learning
- 90% showing increases in health and wellbeing
- 51% pupils inspired to join a sports team
- 48% inspired to mentor another young person
Jessica joins Olympic gold medal winning sprinter, Darren
Campbell MBE and an elite group of 50 past and current athletes
from former BMX World Champion Mike Mullen to those who recently
competed at London 2012 Olympic/Paralympic Games; Bronze Medal
Winner Alex Danson a member of Team GB hockey team, Silver Medal
Winner in the Paralympics in Archery, Mel Clarke Female Boxer
Natasha Jonas, Captain of the England women's Team GB Football
Casey Stoney, diver, Tom Daley's Diving partner Peter Waterfield
and Wheelchair Rugby Player Steve Brown.
On Saturday 15 December, Jessica will appear in an advert on Sky
Sports with students who have taken part in the initiative. To
watch Jessica in action and find out more about Sky Sports Living
for Sport, please visit www.skysports.com/livingforsport
