College students become Legacy Champions and spend the day at the Olympic site in Stratford

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Students from Tower Hamlets College were among those invited to visit the Olympic site in Stratford this week as part of the first ever Legacy Champions event held on Monday 22 February. The event was the result of nine colleges from across the five Olympic host boroughs coming together to try to maximise the opportunities provided by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to students.

Around 70 students were treated to a day of activities and workshops designed to give them a say in the future of the Olympic site after the 2012 Games have finished. The students were also taken to the View Tube adjacent to the Olympic Park, which allows panoramic views of the main venues currently under construction, before hearing from two former Olympic Champions at the closing ceremony and grilling them on their Olympic experiences as part of a Q & A session.

All of the students had been hand picked to represent their institution, having been among those who submitted a 200 word written or recorded entry detailing why they should be chosen to help shape the future of East London. They all had the opportunity to write down their ideas which were presented to Tessa Sanderson at the end of the ceremony.

The students heard from Paralympian Dervis Konuralp, who became visually impaired aged 9 before going on to compete at four successive Games, and former Olympic Javelin gold medallist Tessa Sanderson who detailed her own humble background and how she rose to become a British Olympic champion.

Alia Kassam, 18, attended the day and felt it had been well received by the students involved.
 

“The whole day was relaxed but really informative and fun. I enjoyed the debates and workshops and it felt like someone was taking notice of what we want for the future of East London. It was great to meet and hear from people such as Dervis and Tessa but also to meet some of the students from other Colleges and hear their ideas about what we should do with the facilities after the Olympics.”
 

The Legacy Champions will be invited to attend future events in the run-up to the Olympics in 2012.