Swimming team to volunteer at Olympic Games
Members of the Wellingborough Swimming Club who will volunteer at the 2012 Olympics
When the swimmers competing in next summer’s Olympic Games walk out to the side of the pool they will be accompanied by a team of youngsters from Wellingborough.
The group of nine 16 to 18-year-olds from Wellingborough Swimming Club has been accepted to act as volunteers at the London 2012 games through the Young Games Makers programme.
They will be assisting at the Aquatics Centre and carrying the swimmers’ kits when they walk out from the changing rooms to the pool for their races.
Josh Fox, Ryan Woods, Abbie Williams, Bradley Coleman, Helena Blackett, Katie Green, Lauren Spencer, Jake Lucas and Andrew Gilyead (pictured below) could be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Rebecca Adlington during the week of swimming action.
Team leaders Karen Blackett and John Gilyead (also pictured) will be accompanying the youngsters to the event.
The team was picked to take part after they attended a selection event at the Olympic headquarters in Canary Wharf recently where they had to do two team activities while being observed by representatives from the Olympics organising committee.
Mr Gilyead said: “They had already selected about 20 teams from the application form process, but they selected 15 teams to act as volunteers.
“There are only 15 Young Games Makers teams doing the swimming so the team from Wellingborough has done well to be selected.
“They will be carrying the kit on to the pool side for all of the competitors and they will get a pool side view of the races. They are all really excited about it, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
The group will take part in three training sessions in the months leading up to the Olympics.
They will then assist at four of the swimming sessions during the games.
A spokesman for the 2012 Games said: “When we won the bid to host the Games, we made a promise to inspire more young people to choose sport. One of the ways we can do this is through volunteering. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for young people to get involved in the greatest show on earth.”
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