Nine times Paralympic gold medallist to visit Loughborough

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08/04/2011

The man responsible for planning and organising the London 2012 Paralympic Games, will be visiting Loughborough on April 12th to meet regional athletes, coaches, students and volunteers.

Chris Holmes, Director of Paralympic Integration for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is a former British Paralympic swimmer. He is one of Britain’s most successful Paralympians, having won a total of nine golds, five silvers and one bronze medal at four Paralympic Games between 1988 and 2000. Chris, who is blind, will firstly be visiting the RNIB College in Loughborough.

At the College he will be presenting the ‘Get Set’ network plaque and meeting pupils from the school, including Patrick Cox, a future Paralympic table-tennis hopeful. The ‘Get Set’ initiative is the official London 2012 education programme and encourages schools and colleges to demonstrate a commitment to Olympic and Paralympic values such as respect, friendship, equality, inspiration and determination.

Following this, Chris will go on to Loughborough College to learn about the Loughborough Flames project. Loughborough Flames is a sports leadership programme that was devised between Loughborough College and the British Heart Foundation. The programme aims to provide young leaders with the skills they need to plan and deliver health and physical activity sessions to local primary school aged children.

The Loughborough Flames project received the London 2012 Inspire mark in September 2008. Following four successful festivals, it was approved for a national roll out in summer 2010. Now known simply as ‘The Flames’, the project has engaged with over 2000 young leaders and 6000 primary school children.

While at Loughborough College, Chris will also meet with two young blind leaders from Rawlins Community College in Quorn, as well as Chris McGeorge, Elite Sport Officer at the College and winner of the Commonwealth Games 800 metre bronze medal in 1982.

Later in the morning, the Paralympic Director will be visiting the swimming pool at Loughborough University where Ian Armiger, the University’s Director of Swimming will be discussing the work that the University is doing to prepare athletes for the Games. Since being appointed by the University in 1997, Ian Armiger has coached dozens of Olympic, World Championship and Commonwealth swimmers.

At the University, Chris will also be introduced to Paralympic gold medal discus thrower, Dan Greaves, as well as paralympic shot putter Dan West and the British Wheelchair Basketball Development Officer, Rob Davy-Cripwell. Following this, Chris will be finding out about the work of a number of young people who are employed in internships where they are undertaking 2012 legacy projects in Leicestershire.

Speaking about his visit to Loughborough, Chris Holmes said: “I am looking forward to visiting Loughborough to see first hand some of the brilliant work that the East Midlands are doing in the lead up to the 2012 Games. This is a very exciting time for the whole of the UK and I’d encourage everyone to get involved and enjoy this once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Jeff Moore, Chief Executive of East Midlands Development Agency (emda), and London 2012 Nations and Regions Group Member for the East Midlands said: “I am delighted that Chris Holmes is visiting Loughborough to see some of the excellent work that is being done in the East Midlands around the 2012 Games.

“Loughborough is world renowned as a centre of excellence for sport. Over the years, many of the UK’s outstanding Olympians and Paralympians have been developed at Loughborough University. I hope that through meeting Chris and understanding what he has achieved, more people will be inspired to participate in sport and hopefully, some may even become Olympic and Paralympic athletes of the future.”

For more details about the work that is taking place in the East Midlands to maximise the benefits from the Games, visithttp://2012.emda.org.uk

ENDS

For further information, or to arrange interviews or photographs, please contact Nick King Media and PR Manager atemda, on 0115 988 8375; email: nickking@emd.org.uk

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