Over 30 young Essex Athletes take part in national competition
36 young athletes from the county have made it to the School Games National Finals
The 2021 School Games National Finals kicked off on Thursday 2nd August for young athletes across the UK, including the 36 participants competing this year will be representing Essex.
After a year's break due to the pandemic, the games have finally made a comeback and come to an end today.
Hosted at Loughborough university in Leicestershire, over 1,300 school-age athletes have been taking part in the 14th round of games.
The national competition is a huge milestone for the youngsters who will be following in the footsteps of internationally-recognised athletes.
Names such as Adam Peaty, Kathleen Dawson, Alex Yee and Amelie Morgan who all recently competed in the Tokyo Olympics all once competed in the games, and it is expected that their recent successes will spark even more ambition in the young athletes hoping to walk in their shoes.
Chief Operating Officer of the Youth Sport Trust Will Roberts noted the importance of having role models for young people in sport. He said:
"Young athletes learn a lot by looking at those who have gone in their footsteps before them, and so one of the useful things that we've been able to do with the School Games is point to a whole host of successful Olympians and Paralympians who are doubly inspirational for the young people competing this weekend, because they all started their careers in the School games as well."
10 sports will take place over the next few days. Inclusion is at the heart of the competition, and recognises the achievements of those with varying abilities. Wheelchair tennis and Wheelchair basketball are two of the sports highly anticipated this year, set to shine a light on the rising stars in sport.
Even laser run is making a return after it's successful debut in 2018, where athletes have to alternate between shooting a laser pistol and running in a race to the finish line.
The event is run by the Youth Sport Trust and offers athletes a flavour of what life in sport could look like; with participants getting the chance to stay in accommodation on site, getting to watch the other events and getting to wear the kit of their country.
Roberts also added that the ethos of the games is intended to inspire and motivate young people, and so they are keen to celebrate competitors' successes no matter the outcome of their performance. He said:
"As soon as we ask the question; did you win? We're implicitly saying winning's more important. But if we ask; did they have fun? You actually have them start to process what it is they love about it. As soon as a young person knows what it is they love about it, they're going to hone in on that and thrive."