Spoty Runner-up Joins Schools Programme
Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis, who was also crowned runner-up at Sunday’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year, has been announced as the latest ambassador for the Sky Sports Living for Sport programme.
Ennis won heptathlon gold for Great Britain at London 2012 and will now champion the UK-wide, free initiative which aims to motivate children to fulfil their potential.
This academic year, a third of all UK secondary schools will participate in Sky Sports Living for Sport, which is run in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust.
Ennis will now team up with fellow Sky Sports Living for Sport Ambassador and Olympic champion Darren Campbell to advocate and support the work of 50 Athlete Mentors who are already using their life-changing stories and sports skills to motivate and inspire students in schools across the UK.
Among the Mentors taking part are hockey striker Alex Danson, who won bronze with Team GB at the Olympics, plus boxer Natasha Jonas, diver Peter Waterfield, footballer Casey Stoney and wheelchair rugby captain Steve Brown, all of whom competed at London 2012.
Since the initiative launched in 2003, over 50,000 young people have benefitted by using sport to improve their lives.
Ennis finished ahead of US Open winner Andy Murray at last night’s ceremony, and behind Tour de France and Olympic time trial champion, Bradley Wiggins who claimed cycling’s second consecutive Sports Personality of the Year award after Mark Cavendish took the prize in 2011.
