Sports News

Sporty Erdington students had a real spring in their step when an Olympian triple jumper hopped into school. Birmingham-based Nathan Douglas, a two times Olympian and two times European medallist, who hopes to compete at Rio this year, visited Stockland Green School at the end of term. He spent a day working with year 9 as part of the ‘Sky Sports Living for Sport’ project, which aims to boost confidence, change behaviours, increase attainment and improve life skills.

Birmingham is set to confirm its status as the UK’s home of athletics this month when it hosts two key athletics events on the road to Rio. Both the Birmingham Diamond League yesterday, and the British Championships from 24 to 26 June are organised by British Athletics, in partnership with Birmingham City Council, and both will be held at the city’s Alexander Stadium.

An Aston mum has revealed how she’s gone from ‘heffer’ to half-marathon hopeful in just 18 months – losing SIX stone in the process. Shah Begum, aged 37, used to think events like the Great Birmingham Run on Sunday, October 16, which she has just signed up for, were only for super-fit folk. Not being ‘scraped off the road’ was all the paralegal at city centre legal firm Gowling WLG thought she could hope for when she initially agreed to run the Great Birmingham 10k on Sunday May 1.

Birmingham is leading the way in tackling the inactivity crisis thanks to a range of FREE initiatives aimed at getting Brummies off the couch. As Sport England unveiled new four-year plan to tackle inactivity, people across Birmingham were embarking on another day of FREE, fun activities aimed at getting Brummies off the couch. Initiatives such as Active Parks, Big Birmingham Bikes, Run Birmingham and Be Active are helping thousands or people lead active lives - with an emphasis on participation rather than simply competition.

Sport England is to triple the amount of money it invests in tackling inactivity (£250 million over four years) as part of its new strategy for supporting grassroots sport. More than one in four people in England (28 per cent) do less than 30 minutes of physical activity a week. But research shows that those who are least active stand to benefit the most, even if it’s just small changes like gentle jogging, swimming or playing rounders in the park.

After Team GB picked up 24 cycling medals at the Invictus Games last week we are sure you have been inspired to get on your bike. We all know Michigan as the home of the American car industry, but with rolling hills, stunning lakeside paths and unique architecture, there is no better way to experience this Great Lake State than on two wheels and a little pedal power.  There are over 1,300 bike trails throughout the state, but you don't just have to go off road to get on your bike in Michigan.

Work is underway to prepare Wolverhampton's two public paddling pools for the summer season, and they are due to open in time for the late May Bank Holiday weekend. The linings of both Tettenhall Pool and East Park Pool have been cleaned with the pumping mechanisms tested and any cracks which may have formed over the winter months sealed.

Jaguar Land Rover provided a hero’s send-off for colleague James McGill who will be competing as part of the UK team at the 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida. The Games, which are backed by Prince Harry, are the world’s largest international adaptive sporting event and will see James line up against 500 military athletes from 15 nations. 

Parkhotel Igls, the outstanding Health Retreat in the Austrian Tirol, has launched golf breaks exclusively for ladies.  The new girls-only golf! breaks are designed to combine exercise and world-class golf in a health-enhancing environment with tailored Modern Mayr cuisine diet plans to boost a toned physique, restore mental and physical equilibrium and aid weight-loss if required. 

This September why not do something different when it comes to swimming a Lake District lake and swim the full length of one? After all Long distance open water swimming isn't just about swimming around buoys in a loop– it's about the journey. After-all you haven't swum a lake until you have completed the full length of it!

Leicester City’s extraordinarily triumphant march to the pinnacle of English football caused enormous ructions throughout the world of football and beyond as, whether it be Seria A, La Liga, the Bundesliga, the MSL, or the Midlands Combination, this story has never been matched and, for any time soon, won’t be repeated.

Soul star, Alicia Keys, will be the first singer to play live at the opening ceremony of the Champions League Final. The show will see the singer perform to around 80,000 people in Milan's Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 28 and to TV audiences in over 220 countries. Keys, who will be debuting new music in the show, said playing to such a huge audience was "pretty insane".

Liverpool, Celtic and Scotland legend Kenny Dalglish will be one of a host of former champions who will take to the famous fairways of Spain's La Manga Club to contest the 20th edition of the popular Footballers' Golf Classic this summer. Single-figure handicapper Dalglish has won the title three times at the award-winning Murcian resort but faces one of the strongest challenges ever in the competition's history if he is to lift the trophy again when the event, sponsored by John Griffin, takes place from June 4-9.

A new edition of the Tenerife Bluetrail – the island's most popular (and extreme) long-distance mountain race – is set to take place on Saturday 11th June. Over 1,000 athletes from all over the world have already signed up to run from sea level to an altitude of over 3,550 metres in Spain's highest race.

As the excitement ahead of this year's major European football championships becomes increasingly more palpable, Pierre & Vacances announces its fun new way for holidaymakers to kick off the football festivities in France. Just as France will host the European championships this summer, nine of Pierre & Vacances' French Holiday Villages will host their very own warm-up celebrations in the build up to the matches as well as afterwards.

Football Academy students were rewarded for their hard work as Football Activators with an invite to the English Colleges Football Association (ECFA) FE Activators Conference held at Wembley Stadium, the home of football. Over the course of the academic year and in their role as Activators, the students have volunteered their time to create football activities both within the college and the local community, to encourage as many people as possible to play the sport for fun and in turn live healthier lifestyles.