Stars turn out for National School Sport Week

By Tom Reynolds, Sportsbeat

WORLD Champions, Olympic gold medallists and Brit Award-winning pop stars were among the star turns as World Sport Day helped kick of Lloyds TSB's National School Sport Week in London on Monday.

Olympic champion-turned TV presenter Jonathan Edwards took to the stage to help launch an opening ceremony at Wandsworth's Burntwood School.

The school is one of 12,000 across England and Wales who will be involved in the celebration of school sport this week which will involve over 4.3 million children.

The week is a celebration of of PE, sport and the Olympic and Paralympic values.

Edwards was joined by singer Lemar in south west London as well as four-time world champion Ironman Chrissie Wellington.

And the trio of star names were united in their delight to be involved in both National School Sport Week's curtain-raiser and World Sport Day.

"World Sport Day is a fantastic way to celebrate the Olympics and National School Sport Week," said Edwards.

Wellington added: "It was absolutely amazing to be part of this event and it really feels like it's been the launchpad for the Olympics and getting children involved in the Olympic celebrations."

And Lemar said: "I always love coming to places to see the next generation. In youth you see a lot of raw energy, a lot of raw inspiration."

Burntwood has over 1,700 pupils who got the chance to try a variety of Olympic and Paralympic sports throughout the day but it was in the school's opening ceremony that they really had their chance to shine.

With the calypso band providing the tunes the school's very own Olympic torch relay was unveiled while the winner of a flag-designing competition got the chance to show off her work and a dance group strutted their stuff in a suitably Olympic-themed performance.

Incredibly aptly-named Vivienne Westwood, 14, took the victory for her bespoke France flag and she admitted the experience was one to savour.

"I made the flag with the help of my parents last night and it was great to win and get to meet Jonathan Edwards," she said.

And the youngsters thoughts were echoed by Sally Hancock, Lloyds TSB'S Director of 2012 Partnership and Group Sponsorship who added: "It was a brilliant day. We are proud to be involved with it and it is a great opportunity to bring to life the connection between different cultures and sports."

Lloyds TSB National School Sport Week took place from 25-29 June 2012 and is Britain's biggest school sport event with more than four million pupils staging their own Games this year.  Find out more at www.schoolsportweek.org

(c) Sportsbeat 2012