Olympic heroes to visit Coventry for special I Am Team GB event - The Coventry Observer

Olympic heroes to visit Coventry for special I Am Team GB event

Coventry Editorial 20th Aug, 2016 Updated: 28th Oct, 2016   0

A GROUP of Olympic heroes will appear at the Ricoh Arena later this week in celebration of Team GB’s most successful overseas games ever.

Coventry will welcome home some of GB’s heroes on Saturday (August 27) from 9.30am until 3pm, and sports fans can expect to meet plenty of medallists and competitors from the latest games.

The free-to-attend festival, called I Am Team GB, has been billed as the biggest sports day in the country – and the event is hoping to capitalise on the Rio 2016 excitement.

The Ricoh Arena is one of three national sporting venues to host the nationwide event, along with grassroots clubs and the sets of Coronation Street and Emmerdale.




Although it is not known which Olympians will be present on the day, visitors will be able to try taster sessions at sports including rugby, netball, gymnastics, tennis and more.

Andy Gibb, managing director at the Ricoh Arena, said sport is a powerful force that brings communities together – and he hopes events like these can inspire the next generation of young athletes.


He added: “Team GB’s achievements at Rio 2016 have been phenomenal and to have climbed to second place in the medal table after scoring five golds in one day is no mean feat.

“These victories have a fantastic impact on people – especially young – creating a real buzz of excitement and positivity, so we’re hoping to continue this euphoria at Coventry’s I Am Team GB event.

“We don’t know yet which athletes will be joining us but there have been so many inspiring stories already and this is as much about getting involved as it is meeting your heroes.”

Major Coventry sporting clubs have also joined the drive to get the city active, including Coventry City’s charity organisation who will offer visitors the chance to see how powerful their strike is before City’s home game at 3pm.

Guy Rippon, director at Sky Blues in the Community, said: “This is a great opportunity for people to get involved and will allow us to showcase some of our community projects, including In It Together.

“I Am Team GB follows Coventry’s Summer of Sport – an extensive line-up of sporting events which has been running since August 6 in a bid to get city families active.”

Coun Kamran Caan, cabinet member for public health and sport, said: “I hope local residents take up the opportunity to get involved in I Am Team GB.

“It will be a great way to get involved in local sporting activities or to try something new.”

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