Press Release: Tanni Grey-Thompson stokes Coventry and Warwickshire’s Olympic flame

Paralympic legend Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson encouraged the residents of Coventry and Warwickshire to embrace the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games during her visit to the city.

The wheelchair athlete, who won a total of 16 Paralympic medals, emphasised the point that the 2012 Games would not begin and end in London but would be a national event.

Speaking after an event held by organisational development experts Acua Limited in Coventry, Dame Tanni said: “It is easy to think that the whole world revolves around London but it important to realise that is not the case.

“If people don’t want to or can’t get to London they can still join in the Games experience because it is a huge celebration. Winning the Games was a massive achievement and everyone should be really proud of that.

“We are not going to have something like this again in our lifetimes, so it’s about making the most of it however we can.”

Dame Tanni has links to the region having formerly used the University of Warwick’s athletics track in Westwood Heath as a training venue.

She said: “If you ask people what type of facilities they have in the region I think they might say ‘not very many’, but when you go and see the world class facilities we do have I think it is really positive - you sometimes don’t even realise what is on your own doorstep.

“I used to live in Birmingham and travel back and forth to Coventry on the train to the University of Warwick track, where I’ve done a few 10kms, and I preferred it to anything up in Birmingham because it is a really nice fast track.

“There’s a lot of training camps beforehand and cities are working really hard to get teams over here to train across the UK before the Games and that is important because the whole country has to make the most of the Games.

“We are going to have an increase in tourists and it is important we don’t just wait for the Games to happen, it is important that we go out and show the world what an amazing place the UK is.”

Tom Clift, manager for the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership, 2012 Games, said: “We are honoured to have World Class athletes and icons of sport such as Dame Tanni visiting our region. Her messages are exactly what we are trying to promote here in Coventry and Warwickshire to engage and inspire everyone through the London 2012 Games.

“Our region has a vast array of sporting, cultural, tourism and business expertise to offer London 2012 and the International Olympic Movement in the build-up to the Games and long after the event itself.

“We are continuing to attract interest from national Olympic committees as they decide which areas to use as training camps for 2012 and we are working with our local business and cultural sectors to make sure the region does not miss out on any other opportunities 2012 will present.”

Simon Gilbert
Advent Communications
2 Edison Building
Electric Wharf
Sandy Lane
Coventry CV1 4JA
Tel: 024 7663 3636