Olympic medallist to visit University

A medal-winning cyclist will be visiting the University of Wolverhampton as part of a festival to celebrate the values of the Olympic Games.

Olympic ambassador Tommy Godwin, who won two Olympic bronze cycling medals at the 1948 Games, will be opening the Flames Festival at the Walsall Campus on Tuesday, 17 April 2012.

The festival is being organised and run by third year BSc (Hons) Sports Coaching students from the University and will be attended by around 100 Year 4 children from Whitehall Junior School in Walsall.

The school pupils will take part in a number of sporting activities led by the University students at the Walsall Campus Sports Centre.

Sports Coaching Lecturer, Hannah Dingley, said: “The festival not only allows the University students to demonstrate the practical skills they have learned throughout their course but also allows the children from the local community to use the state of the art sports facilities at the University.

“During the festival the children will have the opportunity to run with a replica of the 1948 Olympic torch and meet Olympic ambassador Tommy Godwin who will be opening the Festival.”

Tommy’s career highlight came at the 1948 Games when, at the age of 27, he won two Olympic bronze cycling medals in the the Men’s 1,000m time trial and Team Pursuit.

He also went on to win a bronze medal at the 1950 British Empire Games (now called the Commonwealth Games).

Following his competitive career, Tommy had the prestigious role of manager of the British National Cycle Team at the 1964 Tokyo Games and later became Chairman of the Racing Committee.

Flames: Lighting the way is a national programme developed by the British Heart Foundation which uses Olympic and Paralympic values to help promote physical activity and health within young people.

Flames has been granted the London 2012 Inspire mark, which recognises exceptional and innovative projects inspired by the 2012 Games.

ENDS

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