Olympian meets Sainsbury's UK School Games Competitors

Tuesday, 10 August

Beijing Olympic swimming finalist and Commonwealth Champion, Chris Cook, was joined by young athletes from the North East this week to promote the Sainsbury’s UK School Games.

Cook, who appeared in the 2008 Olympic final and helped break the British record in the 4 x 100m relay medley, was more than happy to pass on his experience and give these athletes who are due to compete at the Games an opportunity to question him over his sporting career.

The event took place at the Gateshead International Stadium and Cook, who was born in South Shields, is excited by what the Sainsbury’s UK School Games provides the young athletes in terms of their development.

“I am very happy to help promote the Sainsbury’s UK School Games. I trained at the nearby Newcastle City Pool & Gateshead Stadium for over ten years so I know the area very well. We like our sport up here but the Games will help promote multi-sport to the whole region and beyond, which can only be a good thing.
 
“The young athletes who take part in these Games will have a great experience, the competition will be healthy, and learning to live with one another under the same roof is great practice for what is to come for those who will hopefully compete in an Olympics or Commonwealth Games like I did.”

Also in attendance were 2010 Sainsbury’s UK School Games competitors:  Holly Fielding (Darlington), Cameron Boyek (Crook) and Harry Tanfield (Middlesbrough) Liam Ayton (Durham), Kerry Maguire (South Shields), Charmaine Porter (Sunderland), Abigail Batey (Newcastle), Kerry Maguire (South Shields),  Abigail Harvey (Newcastle)and Nick Wood (South Shields).

Over 1,600 elite school aged athletes will descend upon North East England from the 2 – 5 September.  Cycling will join athletics, badminton, fencing, gymnastics, hockey, judo, swimming, table tennis and volleyball, with disability events in swimming, athletics and table tennis, including learning disability for swimming, table tennis and for the first time, athletics. 

In 2006 The UK School Games received a £6 million grant from Legacy Trust UK. As an event which fully encompasses sport, education and culture, the UK School Games was one of Legacy Trust UK’s first projects.  In addition to the Legacy Trust UK, the UK School Games has a consortium of North East partners who will assist with the staging of the games.  These include Gateshead, Newcastle and Sunderland Councils, NewcastleGateshead Initiative along with One North East who are providing funding support and Northumbria and Newcastle Universities who are supplying sport facilities and accommodation.