Sky Sports Living For Sports Unveils Lineup
New sporting stars are to join former Olympic sprinter Darren Campbell’s team of Athlete Mentors as they visit pupils across the UK on behalf of Sky Sports Living for Sport.
Now in its ninth year, Sky Sports Living for Sport, a free initiative delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, uses sport stars and sport skills to improve the lives of thousands of young people in secondary schools across the UK.
The 13 new Athlete Mentors, including 2012 hopefuls Commonwealth gold medallist Leon Baptiste and 2011 Great British women’s boxing champion Amanda Coulson will represent Sky Sports Living for Sport, visiting secondary schools across the UK to inspire and motivate pupils to apply the life lessons they’ve learned through sport to all aspects of their lives.
Leon, Amanda, and their fellow Athlete Mentors have been specially selected by the Youth Sport Trust because of their unique and inspiring personal journeys, overcoming a range of challenges to achieve success.
The Athlete Mentors’ school visits are a fundamental part of Sky Sports Living for Sport and a major incentive for the thousands of pupils taking part as they get to meet and speak with one of a selection of sport stars.
New to the Athlete Mentor team for 2012 are:
Amanda Coulson, Boxing
Anthony Clark, Badminton
Craig Heap, Gymnastics
James Barrow, Snowboard Cross
Joe Bestwick, Wheelchair Basketball
Leon Baptiste, Athletics
Mel Clarke, Archery Neil Danns, Skateboarding
Paul Broadbent, Rugby League
Peter Waterfield, Diving
Rhona Simpson, Hockey
Toby Garbett, Rowing
Tom Reed, Judo
These new Athlete Mentors join the 23 current Sky Sports Living for Sport athletes.
During a school visit the Athlete Mentor shares their story with the young people, talking not only about their sporting careers, but more personally about the challenges they have faced in their own life.
Leon Baptiste, Sky Sport Living for Sport Athlete Mentor, said: ‘Sport is such a powerful tool to use for improving life skills. From my own personal experiences I know exactly how sport can truly help a person strive to get the best out of life. To have the opportunity to share my own story with young people is a real privilege; I’m very excited about the year ahead and meeting more inspirational students across the UK. Sky Sports Living for Sport is such a fantastic initiative that really makes a big difference to the lives of thousands of young people.’
The athletes will parallel the British Athletes Commission’s “Six Keys to Success” by instilling in pupils values such as belief, determination, people skills and time management.
Darren Campbell, Ambassador of Sky Sport Living for Sport, added: ‘2012 is a huge year for sport and this academic year Sky Sports Living for Sport is bigger and better than ever. This fantastic new line-up of inspiring Athlete Mentors will be key to us reaching and motivating many more young people in schools across the UK this year.’
