Former athlete demands sport investment

Stadium is closed for refurbishment but to do that work they’ve had to sell off a proportion of the site. You need to ask where that stops.

“All these things add up to young people having far less ability to have a healthy active outdoor lifestyle, and that’s a great pity.

“That has a knock-on effect on health and is clearly a huge factor in childhood obesity.” First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced plans to halve childhood obesity by 2030. The Scottish Government will set the target in their Healthy Weight and Diet plan, due to be published later this summer. Johnstone, who sits on the board of Scottish Athletics, added: “Diet plays a huge part in this and the Scottish Greens have proposed a levy on retailers and caterers for sel l ing unhealthy food. and drink advertising aimed at young people.

“But local authorities and the Scottish Government also need to create safe and accessible outdoor spaces and affordable access to sports centres.

“When I started running, I could jump on a bus to the training ground. I grew up playing outside but that isn’t the case for many children now.

“I think government and schools have a role to play in changing that trend.”

Johnstone also wants more schools to join a scheme to have pupils run a mile a day.

She added: “I think this is a really good idea. Some teachers say it’s just another thing to fit into an already bulging curriculum, but I’d like to see priority given to it.

“There’s a lot of good aspects to this – fresh air, getting them off their seats and moving, and improving the strength of their heart and lungs.

“It’s taken us a long time to ensure most pupils have two hours of PE a week. But it’s still not sufficient and if we can top that up with a daily dose of fresh air and exercise then all the better.

“Some kids are very engaged in sport and others aren’t. But they’re all enjoying it, and if you do it every day, you will undoubtedly improve.

“I started in athletics at 13 or 14 and I’m now 52 but I’m still running a couple of times a week. In the early days it was competitive, but now it is a habit that

serves me well.”