By Daniel Mackrell
London 2012 gymnast Beth Tweddle took time out to prove to the world that Olympic athletes are exactly the same as normal folk, and that dreams are achievable.
The 28-year-old bronze medallist, alongside 2004 Olympic bronze medallist swimmer Steve Parry, was at the David Weir Leisure Centre in Carshalton to encourage children to get more involved in sports.
The visit was part of the Sutton Legacy Games project - provided by Fit for Sport - which aims to continue the good work of the Olympic athletes in inspiring a generation.
Tweddle helped prepare youngsters ahead of a day of activities by taking a warm up session, and then she joined in with their sporting day – as if she was one of them.
She said: “Many of the children saw me involved with the Olympics and what I achieved there, but when they met me they realised I wasn’t an ‘out of reach’ athlete that’s only on TV.
“Sometimes I think children look at elite athletes as special people with special powers.
“By spending time together, they realised I’m just like other people and with hard work and determination they can achieve their dreams the way I achieved mine.”
Around 1,000 seven to 11-year-olds from schools in Sutton were involved in the day of sports, and Tweddle and Parry were on hand to hand out medals to the winners.
However, Tweddle was keen to ensure that keeping children active and keen on sport was not the sole responsibility of celebrity athletes.
She said: “A child can’t just take themselves to an activity, they need parental support.
“But all the encouragement in the world won’t help if the opportunities aren’t there, so leisure providers must provide a choice of activities.”
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