Blast

I spoke to Steve Chaytor, Managing Director of Tees Active about how they’re supporting local sport talent in the area:

“We have our own academy, which is Tees Active sports academy, it’s effectively a support network for inspiring and talented athletes and sport performers in the local area.

“Essentially what we’ve done is arrived at the conclusion that we needed to do something for the talented athletes so that they can remain in this area and achieve their ambitions in this area without having to go elsewhere.

“We’ve probably got about half a dozen people who are potential Olympians at this moment. Maybe even a couple for next year, certainly half a dozen for 2012.

"We hope that they do get to that particular point, because if they do it will not only be good for them but great for Teesside as well.”

The support for talented athletes is defiantly there, but how will the Games actually benefit local areas who are outside the London area?

Sport England is an organisation which provides guidance on how sport is delivered within the regions, they have a close link with the 2012 Olympic committee to make sure that a positive impression is received in the North East.

Judith Rasmussen, Regional Director for Sport England:

“What we’ve been looking at is all the key areas where we could benefit, and one of the major areas which always springs to mind is the opportunity to hopefully host a team prior to the Olympic games, like pre event training camps.

"Obviously we’re going through that process now but hopefully we will be successful and one of the teams will come and train in the run up to the Olympics.

"They will basically stay here within the 3 or 4 weeks before they go down to the athlete’s village and the Games start”

With fingers crossed we could have Olympic standard athletes using facilities within the North East, which would be an amazing achievement.

The Olympic committee is also conscious that the benefits should be felt long term and not just whilst the Games are on. Judith explains how:

“What we’re trying to do is use the games to galvanize people’s participation within sport.

“We’re really hoping that the Games will provide that inspiration for everybody across all communities to actually consider their levels of physical activity and sporting activity to try to get people involved in sport.

“I mean ideally, we would like to see an increase in participation here in the North East.”