This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/aug/16/olympic-athletes-launch-join-in
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Olympic athletes launch 'Join In' weekend of sport to get nation moving | Olympic athletes launch 'Join In' weekend of sport to get nation moving |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Nearly 6,000 clubs and events are opening their doors for free this weekend for what is expected to be the country's biggest sports day. | Nearly 6,000 clubs and events are opening their doors for free this weekend for what is expected to be the country's biggest sports day. |
| Team GB sports stars including triathlon brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee and boxers Nicola Adams and Luke Campbell will join celebrities such as Eddie Izzard and thousands of volunteers to encourage people to take part. | Team GB sports stars including triathlon brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee and boxers Nicola Adams and Luke Campbell will join celebrities such as Eddie Izzard and thousands of volunteers to encourage people to take part. |
| The Join in initiative was set up by the organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games, with the support of Lord Coe, and has a £2m grant from the government, though is now an independent charity. | The Join in initiative was set up by the organisers of the London 2012 Olympic Games, with the support of Lord Coe, and has a £2m grant from the government, though is now an independent charity. |
| "No host country has ever done what we are trying to do with the Join In weekend and that is to capture this magic moment for all time," said David Moorcroft, former 5,000m world record holder and director of the event. "The weekend is a great opportunity to harness the enthusiasm generated by the Games, for sport and for volunteering, and channel it through local sports clubs, which is where every great champion starts out." | "No host country has ever done what we are trying to do with the Join In weekend and that is to capture this magic moment for all time," said David Moorcroft, former 5,000m world record holder and director of the event. "The weekend is a great opportunity to harness the enthusiasm generated by the Games, for sport and for volunteering, and channel it through local sports clubs, which is where every great champion starts out." |
| By Thursday afternoon, Join In had nearly 6,000 clubs and events signed up, with more being added daily, most of which will be for free. | By Thursday afternoon, Join In had nearly 6,000 clubs and events signed up, with more being added daily, most of which will be for free. |
| As well as traditional sports such as tennis and hockey, other clubs are offering events for which the Olympics appeared to create a surge of interest, including handball, volleyball and canoeing. | As well as traditional sports such as tennis and hockey, other clubs are offering events for which the Olympics appeared to create a surge of interest, including handball, volleyball and canoeing. |
| Non-Olympic sports are not excluded, including golf, and despite the prime minister David Cameron's disparaging comments about activities such as Indian dancing, not all this weekend's offerings are competitive: rollerblading and Nordic walking, being two examples. | Non-Olympic sports are not excluded, including golf, and despite the prime minister David Cameron's disparaging comments about activities such as Indian dancing, not all this weekend's offerings are competitive: rollerblading and Nordic walking, being two examples. |
| "There's no point in all these wonderful athletes trying to inspire a generation if we can't do anything about it," said Sharron Davies, a former Olympic swimmer and an ambassador for the event, who along with the ex-decathlete Daley Thompson, triple jumper Jonathan Edwards and TV sports presenter John Inverdale will visit many of the events on a special "battle bus". | "There's no point in all these wonderful athletes trying to inspire a generation if we can't do anything about it," said Sharron Davies, a former Olympic swimmer and an ambassador for the event, who along with the ex-decathlete Daley Thompson, triple jumper Jonathan Edwards and TV sports presenter John Inverdale will visit many of the events on a special "battle bus". |
| "There are things you can do that don't have to be so competitive," added Davies. "Even hockey: it can be competitive, but there are many people who play because they enjoy it, and play for an hour and then go out for a coffee or a glass of wine. We're not just talking about the next generation of Olympic athletes we're talking about engaging the whole country." | "There are things you can do that don't have to be so competitive," added Davies. "Even hockey: it can be competitive, but there are many people who play because they enjoy it, and play for an hour and then go out for a coffee or a glass of wine. We're not just talking about the next generation of Olympic athletes we're talking about engaging the whole country." |
| The 2012 Olympic stars are likely to be the highlight of the weekend – with gold medal long-jumper Greg Rutherford, double canoe slalom silver medallist David Florence, and double bronze medal gymnast Louis Smith also taking part in local events. But organisers and athletes will be keen to persuade people not to be put off if they have not played sport for a long time. | The 2012 Olympic stars are likely to be the highlight of the weekend – with gold medal long-jumper Greg Rutherford, double canoe slalom silver medallist David Florence, and double bronze medal gymnast Louis Smith also taking part in local events. But organisers and athletes will be keen to persuade people not to be put off if they have not played sport for a long time. |
| To make the point, bantam-weight boxing gold medal winner Luke Campbell described his first visit to the boxing gym when he was 13, a decision he made simply because "I thought it was cool and I wanted a couple of trophies". "I was a small, chubby guy," says Campbell, now 24. "Everybody starts off in the same place going into sport; you don't go into any sport being good at it." | To make the point, bantam-weight boxing gold medal winner Luke Campbell described his first visit to the boxing gym when he was 13, a decision he made simply because "I thought it was cool and I wanted a couple of trophies". "I was a small, chubby guy," says Campbell, now 24. "Everybody starts off in the same place going into sport; you don't go into any sport being good at it." |
| But as well as getting more people to take part in sport, organisers and the athletes are also hoping to recruit more volunteers on a wave of national admiration for the more than 100,000 Games Makers, who are credited with having made the Olympics such a success. Volunteers are needed to help with coaching, transport, administrative or fundraising and much more. | But as well as getting more people to take part in sport, organisers and the athletes are also hoping to recruit more volunteers on a wave of national admiration for the more than 100,000 Games Makers, who are credited with having made the Olympics such a success. Volunteers are needed to help with coaching, transport, administrative or fundraising and much more. |
| "We wanted this Olympics to be about inspiring a new generation," said Nick Hurd, the minister for civil society. "And that goes for future volunteers just as much as our sporting heroes." | "We wanted this Olympics to be about inspiring a new generation," said Nick Hurd, the minister for civil society. "And that goes for future volunteers just as much as our sporting heroes." |
| Despite a national surge in pride and interest in sport as Team GB won 65 medals including 29 golds during the Olympics, the government faced widespread criticism for cutting funds for school sport and relaxing regulations on schools selling off sports fields. | Despite a national surge in pride and interest in sport as Team GB won 65 medals including 29 golds during the Olympics, the government faced widespread criticism for cutting funds for school sport and relaxing regulations on schools selling off sports fields. |
| For information and to find your nearest events, go to joininuk.org. | For information and to find your nearest events, go to joininuk.org. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |