Denise Lewis Appointed President Of Cge
Commonwealth Games England (CGE) has appointed former Olympic, European and Commonwealth heptathlete Denise Lewis OBE, as its new president.
Lewis won two Commonwealth gold medals at the 1994 Victoria and 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games and went on to win gold at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
In 2011, she was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame and is now hoping to use her experience to inspire the next generation of athletes.
Denise will act as an ambassador for CGE, succeeding Dame Kelly Holmes who retired from the position she held since 2009.
Following a refreshing of the board, CGE is now targeting a new title partner to support the next phase of its development, working with Team England through to Gold Coast 2018.
Ian Metcalfe, chairman at CGE said: “We’re delighted that Denise has agreed to become the new president of Commonwealth Games England, she has so much insight to offer. We’re certain that her experience as an elite athlete will inspire the next generation of Team England athletes and assist CGE in supporting them.
“Team England topped the medals table at last year’s Commonwealth Games and we understand the scale of the challenge to repeat the feat in Australia in 2018. Denise will bring valuable experience to our senior leadership team and will provide vital guidance to Team England athletes as we look to match that remarkable medal winning performance on the Gold Coast.”
Newly appointed CGE England president Denise Lewis said: “I am thrilled that I have the chance to work with, and support, England’s athletes and help them work towards becoming a Commonwealth medalist.
“I have devoted my life to track and field athletics and while that particular sport will always be my passion, it is great to have the opportunity to pass on some of my experience to athletes from a wider range of sports.
“Having been involved in numerous multi-sport events, I understand what support is needed in order to allow athletes to prepare and compete to the best of their potential. It is an exciting time to be involved with Commonwealth Games England, following the recent success at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa and as we build towards the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.”
