Cycling Olympian Chris Boardman to cross Sussex in 550-mile cycling challenge to Paris
He will be raising awareness of the impact climate change has on grassroot sport
Chris Boardman, Chairman of Sport England, will be heading through Sussex today (Sunday 21st) after setting off from Milton Keynes in his "Pedal for Paris" initiative, an eight-day, 550-mile cycling journey from Manchester to Paris.
The event aims to promote sustainability in sports in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics.
On his cycle from London's Euston Staion to Newhaven, via the North Downs and Ashdown Forest, he will be stopping off to speak to grassroot sports clubs and drive support for the climate protection cause, which is increasingly affecting grassroot sport.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, he said: "The bicycle is the most ecologically form of mechanised transport in the world."
"Why don't we go from the home of cycling in Manchester to Paris? And on route visit things that are already happening around the world of sport, and I think that's the important bit here."
"We're overwhelmed by climate change, it's just too big, but it's already affecting us."
"120,000 grassroots football matches lost every year to flooding, things like that that we don't think about as being climate change."
"Pedal for Paris" highlights the crossover of sports and the environment, drawing attention to the Paris Accord's sustainability goals and the ecological benefits of cycling.
Climate change already impacts grassroots sports, with significant disruptions such as flooded football pitches and cricket grounds.
Mr Boardman said: "There's 5,000 small community cricket grounds, hubs of communities. They're losing two months a year because of flooding."
"You can't go and ride your bike if it's 40° heat all day."
"So all of these things are eroding our ability to be outside in nature and to get active and these are things I had as standard as a kid, and if we want these things to be there for our kids and our grandkids, then we've got to do something about it. So so we are."
Throughout the journey, the team will visit various initiatives demonstrating positive environmental actions.
For example, they observed moss planting efforts in Derbyshire, which have successfully reduced erosion and flooding.
Boardman is calling on sports organisations and athletes to commit to sustainability through the "Going for Green" pledge.