It’s been another fantastic Olympics for Team GB – and it seems people across Suffolk are already inspired by their medal success.
To celebrate the Games, we’re bringing you some ideas about how to get involved in sport in the county.
As the nation’s athletes set their sights on a place at the top of the table, Suffolk Sport’s chief executive John Clough has said seeing people compete at the highest level possible is likely to give the county’s sports clubs “a great boost”.
“The Olympics are a great opportunity for people to see a sport they perhaps hadn’t heard of before and think, ‘I’d like to try that’”, he said.
“On Sunday we did fantastically, winning our first gold medal in gymnastics for more than a century.
“I think spectacular achievements like that will encourage people in Suffolk, especially young people, to get involved and become more like their Olympic heroes. It’ll give sport here a great boost.”
County council figures released late last month suggest 16,000 more adults are achieving at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week than they were five years ago.
Back in 2011, Suffolk had been ranked 25th in a table of the 27 most active counties in England – with almost 50% of adults doing no physical activity.
With this in mind, Suffolk County Council kicked off a project which aimed to make it the Most Active County.
New figures suggest that since it began 27,000 more adults are playing sport at least three times a week, and 9,500 more adults are playing sport once a week.
Our four-part Games series will begin with two sports which have already brought Great Britain five gold medals – gymnastics and rowing.
Have you been inspired by this year’s Olympic Games? Tell us how by emailing newsroom@archant.co.uk.
The phone’s been ringing off the hook, says gymnastics coach
Essex-based athlete Max Whitlock led Great Britain to its first ever gymnastics gold on what is being called “super Sunday” earlier this week.
Andy Wood, head coach at Pipers Vale Gymnastics Club in Ipswich, said the phone has been “ringing off the hook” – with more than 100 people wanting to sign up within the last week alone.
“We’ve had more than 100 new enquiries since the Rio Olympics started,” he said. “But we’ve still got plenty of gymnastic finals to go, and I’m expecting interest really will go through the roof once these are broadcast.
“The Games’ impact on us has been enormous and I’m thinking this will continue. I reckon we’ll have between 100 and 200 new calls this week, especially with our two gold medals yesterday. It’s just fantastic.”
Piper’s Vale was used by Brazilian and British athletes ahead of London 2012, and Mr Wood said seeing their success in Rio has been “amazing”.
“Watching people you have seen train in person win medals – whether they are gold, silver or bronze – is just brilliant, it’s a double win for us.”
Gymnastics clubs in Suffolk include:
Pipers Vale Gymnastics Club, Ipswich Tel: 01473 433676 /email admin@pipersvale.co.uk
Sudbury Gymnastics Club
sudburygymclub@hotmail.com
Bury Spectrum Gymnastics Club 01284 700866 / jean@buryspectrumgymnastics.co.uk
Pegasus Trampoline Club, Ipswich 01473 433622
Waveney Gymnastics Club 01502 501419 / waveneygym@aol.com
Brackenbury Gymnastics Club, Felixstowe 01394 270278
Breckland Forest Gymnastics Club, Brandon 01842 810427
Haverhill Gymnastics Club coach@haverhillgymnastics.org
Newmarket Gymnastics Club 01638 601023
Beccles Royales Gymnastics Club 01502 716852 / tgasking@btinternet.com
Bungay Border Gymnastics Club 01502 717842 / rwalding@aol.com
Gymnastics clubs in north Essex include:
Colchester School of Gymnastics
01206 844188
Dave’s Gymnastics Academy, Colchester
01206 797288
Iceni Gymnastics Club, Colchester
07773 891563
Dynamix Gymnastics Club, Braintree
07885 827527
Dimensions Trampoline Club, Braintree
01376 324282
Gyrus Olympic Gymnastics Club, Witham
0871 288 5649
There are so many people in the county desperate to get on the water – rowing club chairman
Another five medals – including three golds in the men’s eight, women’s pair and men’s four – have been secured by the British rowing team in the past week.
John Cross, chairman of the Woodbridge-based Deben Rowing Club, said: “We’ve always had more interest than we can cope with, and of course, we’re expecting that to rise in the next few weeks.
“The Olympics are our shop window in many ways, as it gives the sport publicity and gets people interested.
“There are so many people in the county desperate to get on the water, and that level of interest is always great.
He added: “Suffolk, particularly Woodbridge, is a great place to learn the basics – the Deben is a beautiful river and it’s one we love to make the most of.”
Rowing clubs in Suffolk include:
Beccles Rowing Club enquiries@becclesrowingclub.co.uk
Deben Rowing Club info@debenrowingclub.co.uk
Lowestoft Rowing Club 01502 566054
Sudbury Rowing Club enquiries@sudbury.rowing.org.uk
Rowing clubs in north Essex include:
Brightlingsea Coastal Rowing Club
philipmaxwell45@yahoo.co.uk
Mersea Island Rowing Club
info@mersearowingclub.org.uk
Essex University Rowing Club
rowing.uerc@gmail.com
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