Team GB Olympians to teach stars of the future in their schools

 
10 October 2012

Team GB's Olympic heroes will spend 5,000 days a year in UK schools coaching the stars of the future, Culture Secretary Maria Miller has said.

Pride in Britain is back thanks to the summer spectacle which captivated the country, she told the Conservative party conference.

She promised to build on the Games' success, creating a legacy which will inspire youngsters to become gold medallists.

"Between them, our inspirational Olympic athletes will dedicate 5,000 days a year to teach, mentor and encourage young people in sport," Mrs Miller said.

"In schools and clubs across the UK, our Olympic athletes will be dedicated to helping the next generation shine as they themselves have shone this summer."

Labour's 13 years in power "damaged British spirit", but the Games had helped Britain "regain its pride", she told Tory activists in Birmingham.

That pride was clear as grassroots members wept while watching a five-minute video telling the story of Britain's Games, from the International Olympic Committee officials awarding the showpiece to London in Singapore in July 2005 to last month's Paralympics closing ceremony.

The film featured memorable gold-winning moments from long-distance runner Mo Farah, heptathlete Jessica Ennis and disabled sprinter Jonnie Peacock.

The golden recap sparked a standing welcome for Games organiser Lord Coe, a former Tory MP. He praised former Conservative prime minister Sir John Major for launching the National Lottery in 1994, which has provided funding for Olympic hopefuls.

Gold medal cyclist Joanna Rowsell, who appeared on stage, said the cash was "absolutely essential" as Team GB's athletes trained.

"I wouldn't have been able to be a full-time cyclist without the lottery funding," she said.

Hockey bronze medallist Anne Panter told the conference that the money meant Team GB's stars could increase their joint training "10-fold".

She said: "We have gone from being ranked ninth in the world to third."

Lord Coe said the Olympics showed that Britain has not just got a "can do culture" but a "can deliver" culture.

"Britain and the British have a reputation for quality, for scrutiny, for raising the bar and setting new benchmarks. This is not an inhibitor or barrier to delivery; it makes for better delivery and should be embraced," he said.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in