We’re gearing up for victorious summer in the capital of sport, say Team GB stars
Prince’s Trust to help more youngsters from new base at QPR stadium
TEAM GB sprinters Adam Gemili and Dina Asher-Smith today said they were “gearing up” for a victorious summer of athletics and hailed London as a global capital of sport.
London is hosting major competitions including the Müller Anniversary Games in July and August’s IPC World Para Athletics Championships and IAAF World Championships.
Gemili, 23, the 2014 European champion and Commonwealth games silver medallist, said having such major competitions in London this year would be “unbelievable”. He said there was “no better place to compete” than the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The 100m and 200m sprinter and London 2012 semi-finalist, who was born in Dartford, said: “The World Championships is one of the biggest competitions and it is going to be unbelievable. I am gearing up towards that and going out there and really showing PRINCE CHARLES’S youth charity is to set up a west London base at Queens Park Rangers’ stadium in its first such tie-up with a football club.
Four members of staff from The Prince’s Trust will work at the Championship club’s Loftus Road home to help support disadvantaged people in everyone how fast I can run. London is my favourite city in the world. I was born here and for me, there is no better place to compete.
“I have memories of London 2012, competing in front of a home crowd and that was one of the most special moments in my athletics career. To have another chance to do that, I am very, very lucky.”
Gemili, a member of Blackheath and Bromley Harriers Athletic Club, said London was a leading capital of sport. “I am maybe a bit biased,” he said. “I am talking about athletics but its not just that. It is football, cricket, rugby. All sports. London is so diverse.”
Asher-Smith, 21, who is originally from Orpington, said: “The Olympic stadium is half an hour from where I live. It is one of those once-in-a-career opportunities. I was not eligible, not running fast enough, not old enough for 2012. Fingers crossed everything goes to plan and I will be there in 2017.” The Olympic 4x100 metre bronze med- the area aged 13 to 30. The trust already has a centre in Poplar serving east London and another in Kennington for the south of the capital.
Since 2011, the charity has collaborated with QPR’s community arm on the Get Started With Football scheme, which helps unemployed youngsters take their first steps towards the jobs market.
New programmes which the trust allist and 2016 European champion added: “It is not every day that you get to go in to a venue that is already iconic from the Olympics in front of all your friends and family [so they] see why you are always so busy and training.
“Having the opportunity to make them proud on home soil is what any athlete would want.”
Both sprinters said they hoped a home crowd would help them to victory. Asher-Smith added: “The crowd is so warm and they cheer everybody… they give a bit more love to the British ones which is much appreciated but they are so friendly.”
Gemili said: “The support in London 2012 was phenomenal, like nothing I have ever experienced. The British get behind their teams and athletes. As a British athlete in hopes to offer in west London include Enterprise, supporting jobless young people who want to start a businesses, and Get Hired, a speed networking and interview event.
Dermot Finch, Prince’s Trust director for London and the South, said: “We are really pleased to announce our partnership with QPR In The Community Trust as the vital support of Loftus Road Stadium will help us to reach London , I know the crowd is going to be unbelievable.”
Asher-Smith, who earlier this year broke a bone in her foot while training, more young people in west London. This new venue for our programmes is a boost to the work we are already doing in east and south London.”
He said the charity was aiming to help more than 5,000 youngsters across the capital in the next year.
Andy Evans, who heads QPR In The Community Trust, which has 30 full-time members of staff, said: “We know that sport motivates, inspires and said she was confident her injury wouldn’t hamper her chances. “I am fortunate that I have enough time to let it heal naturally and then train up and run as fast as I can,” she added.
Today, Asher-Smith and Gemili were announced as new ambassadors for Müller — which is launching a campaign to inspire the next generation to get in to sport. The duo will appear in Müller’s athletics campaign with singer Nicole Scherzinger.
The brand is giving away 1,000 pairs of session tickets for the IPC World Para Athletics Championships London 2017 and the IAAF World Championships London 2017, as well as other prizes.
mullerathletics2017. com connects people. We cannot think of a better way for us to make a positive difference to the lives of young people in west London than working with The Prince’s Trust.
“We hope that if this partnership is successful, one day we can have more Prince’s Trust staff, and indeed maybe staff from other charities, based alongside QPR In The Community Trust staff at a new QPR stadium.”