sussexsport 13

The compleTe guide To sporT in sussex • FREE

IssuE 13

London Calling: Olympic review including Sally Gunnell • Paralympics

The Big Interview: Tina Cook • Sussex in t20 finals • Andrew Crofts

Dave Brayley • Active Sussex • Cartoons • Mr Angry

www.sussexsport.co.uk

A silver lining

Tina Cook

September 2012

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This is a time of national pride. Where everyone has got together to wave the Union flag as the feelgood factor sweeps Britain thanks to sport.

Firstly, there’s the unforgettable Olympic Games, which were a breathtaking spectacle that captured the imagination of the world with Sussex playing its full part. None more so than Tina Cook. We speak to the silver medal-winning eventer in a soul-searching, emotional Big Interview. We also focus on county medallists in hockey and sailing and the rest of our Olympians.

Secondly, there’s the Paralympic Games which have just begun with Sussex involved, as Editor Mike Donovan points out on Page Five.

We also meet Brighton & Hove Albion’s returning hero Andrew Crofts and new Crawley boss Richie Barker.

And there’s Sussex cricketers’ bid to lift the t20 crown.This issue includes thought-provoking comment from regular columnists Michel

Kuipers, Tony Cottey, Mr Angry, Dave Brayley, plus racing, motor sport and golf, and even throws in some fun cartoons.

Thanks for reading,

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Contributors:Bruce Talbot, Richard Neale, Dave Brayley, Tony Cottey, Michel Kuipers, Kevin Rogers, Nick Szczepanik, Mark Pennell,Nick Saloman, Sally Gunnell, Max Forsyth, Andy Duck, Martin Read,Craig Peters, James Ward.

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ThIS IS ISSUE ThIRTEEN OF SUSSEx SPORT, yOUR FREE MAGAzINE AvAIlABlE ThROUGhOUT SUSSEx.

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Mike Donovan’s Column

Andrew Crofts

Kuipers Column

Richie Barker

Football Mash Up

Cotts’ Column

SCCC t20 finals day

Cartoons

Dave Brayley

London Calling

Sally Gunnell

Olympic Spectator

The Big Interview: Tina Cook

Mr Angry

The Punter

We back Racing

Cycling: Kim English

Motorsport: John Mickel

Sussex School Games

Albion In The Community

Active Sussex

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Contents

issue 13 | 3

sussexsport Editorial

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About mcr print……At mcr print we offer a fast and reliable service so it has never been easier to get the printing results you want. Our dedicated account-management and production team will be on hand every step of the way to advise you.


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ThANKS for the warm-up.That was the legend which blazed across the advertising hoarding on a

roadside close to the Olympic Park.It was a tongue- in-cheek promotion for the Paralympic Games in reference to what the Olympics had done for them going in to its moment in the sun in an unforgettable london 2012 summer.Certainly its profile has been lifted with it being given equal billing alongside its able-bodied equivalent which has injected a feelgood serum into the British psyche.And that seems to have boosted the self-confidence of the Paralympics. Enough,

at least, to provoke that cheeky comment which hinted that it is the Paralympics NOT the Olympics which is the greatest sports show on earth.Sussex has been helping to ensure it tries to live up to the star billing london’s second major summer Games has been given.Judo player Ben Quilter, from Brighton, to athlete Sophia Warner, from hove. Table tennis ace Will Bayley from Groombridge to wheelchair basketball player Simon Munn from Peacehaven to Crawley shooter Ben Jesson of the Balcombe Rifle and Pistol Club. volleyball’s Emma Wiggs, from the University of Chichester to Crawley cyclist Katie-Georgie Dunlevy.Gold, silver, bronze or nothing, I believe the county’s competitors – like those at the

Olympics - know that it is as much, if not more, about feelings as it is results. A reflection of how much an athlete is spurred by the crowd and how an athlete spurs the crowd.Collecting a piece of metal to hang around the neck is one vindication of all the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into years of tunnel vision on one sporting activity. To stare down at a medal through glassy eyes would certainly go a long way to proving to the winner of it that it has all been worthwhile.But there must be justification for such intense focus beyond the material.

After all, not everyone is going to win a medal.That’s where the uplifting emotion of knowing you are involved in something which means so much to the nation, the world and yourself comes in.Cynics say life is a bitch and then you die. Well the experience of taking part in the Paralympics – and , indeed, the Olympics – should turn that statement on its head. life can be wonderful in such comings together.Indeed, cynicism – which permeates so much of our modern existence – melted away in the Olympic ‘bubble’. Those who were anti and had moaned about the cost, the ticket allocation, safety issues et al became voices of praise for an initiative that has reawoken pride in the country

which invented many of the competitions. That negatives could be turned to positives in all walks of life. It might only have been two weeks of sport but every strata of society seems to have been motivated by them. It became a Nirvana beyond the imaginings of it organisers.And there is no reason to suppose it cannot be repeated at the Paralympics. The fact it has been put on the same pedestal should help.The fact it is continuing to grow is another reason for an optimistic outcome.And the fact that, as singer George Michael said at the closing ceremony, the

Games are at the “centre of the universe” should convince everyone.Team GB claimed second place behind China at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, winning 42 gold in an overall haul of 102 medals with the United States third.And Phil lane, chief executive of the British Paralympics Association, claimed the host nation went into the london Games with “high expectations” Increased competition from the US, Canada and Australia and new threats Brazil and Ukraine reflects how Paralympic sport has become more and more globalised since China.Sport for the disabled has come a long way since I started reporting on it in the 1970s. I felt then it deserved a higher profile.

MiKe DOnOvAn

THE SUSSEX SPORT EDITOR ON GAMES FEVER WHICH HAS MADE EVERYONE FEEL GOOD

ThAT’S where The uPLifTinG eMoTion of knowinG you Are invoLveD in SoMeThinG whiCh MeAnS So MuCh To The nATion, The worLD AnD yourSeLf CoMeS in.

Comm

ent

issue 13 | 5

sussexsport

Crofts delighted to be back on Gus busNICK SZCZEPANIK meets returning hero

Andrew Crofts gave Brighton & Hove Albion a major vote of confidence this summer when

he agreed to leave the Barclays Premier League to return to the club after two seasons with Norwich City.

Along with Tomasz Kuszczak and Wayne Bridge, the Wales midfield player brings top-flight know-how and international experience to Gustavo Poyet’s squad.

Kuszczak, the Poland and former Manchester United goalkeeper, and Bridge, the Manchester City and England left back, who is on loan for a season, are new to Sussex. But Crofts knows all about the Albion and his decision to get back aboard the Gus bus speaks volumes for their prospects in advance of their second season in the npower Championship.

“It was a difficult decision and it was an easy one at the same time,” Crofts, 28, said. “It’s every boy’s dream to play in the Premier League, and I had a great

two years at Norwich and learned a hell of a lot. But when I found out there was interest from Brighton, it took my fancy straight away even though it meant dropping down a league.

“It wasn’t as if Norwich wanted to get rid of me – it was me wanting to come back. I know what the gaffer has done, the structure he has put in place, and what the chairman has done with the facilities. There is a lot of ambition and I am an ambitious player. I want to achieve at Brighton what I did with Norwich, and go back to the Premier League as soon as possible. From the family point of view, it’s not far from where I’m from, and I’ve got another little one on the way, so for personal reasons and big football reasons I wanted to come back.”

The “football reasons,” of course, include Poyet. “Everyone could tell

what a great manager he is and is going to be,” Crofts said. “What he has done already, what he has put in place, considering where the club was three or four years ago, and how far it has come. The gaffer was a massive part of the reason that I wanted to come back. I love playing for him and so do the rest of the boys.”

Poyet picked Crofts as his captain when he arrived in November 2009, and the energetic midfield player scored in the Uruguayan’s first match in charge, a 3-1 victory away to Southampton. His performances attracted the attention of divisional rivals Norwich, who would go on to back-to-back promotions.

Not only did Crofts pick up top-level experience after moving to Carrow Road in May 2010, playing at Anfield, Old Trafford and Eastlands as well at Wembley for Wales against England, but he also found out in his first season what it takes to get promoted from the Championship – which could be

invaluable as Albion strive to reach the elite.

“The two years at Norwich couldn’t have gone much better,” he said. “There are not many feelings better than getting promoted and I played a big part in that ,and then I played 24 games in the Premier League, and I experienced international football with Wales. I have improved all round after training with the best.”

But if things changed for Crofts when he left for Norfolk, then much also changed at the Albion. The team won promotion from League One as champions in 2011, and left Withdean Stadium for the American Express Community Stadium, this season expanded by a further 5,000 seats – another attraction for Crofts.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “As soon as I drove into the stadium I got that

buzz, and as I drive in to training in the morning [at the University of Sussex] I look to the right and I see the stature of the stadium and get the buzz again. I hope the stadium is going to be a fortress and these are really exciting times for the football club.”

Crofts’ brief this season will be to add power to a midfield that sometimes looked lightweight last season. His box-to-box running and and eye for a goal should complement the creative skills of Vicente and the intelligent covering and distribution of Liam Bridcutt. Behind them, the defence should be even more solid with the additions of Bridge, Kuszczak and former Valencia right-back Bruno.

“The way the gaffer plays suits me down to the ground,” Crofts said. “He gives me licence to get up and down, to create things and make things happen. And, fingers crossed, chip in with a few goals. But whoever scores, as long as we’re winning games – that’s the most

important thing. We were a good side anyway but I think what the gaffer has brought in has only added to that.”

Crofts’ attacking instincts gives the team an extra option, with some observers feeling that the ball did not spend enough time in the opposition’s penalty area last season, even though they appreciated the team’s passing style. Poyet has admitted that some opponents have worked his team out and that they need to be able to surprise the opposition.

“We are trying to make the players know how to play in different circumstances and not always the same,” he said. “We are trying not just to be a passing team. Depending on the situation and the momentum, we have to do things differently. That takes time, but we will always do it with a base of caring a lot about the ball.”

Football

sussexsport

6 | issue 13

“iT’S every Boy’S DreAM To PLAy in The PreMier LeAGue, BuT when i founD ouT There wAS inTereST froM BriGhTon, iT Took My fAnCy STrAiGhT AwAy”

Footballsussexsport

issue 13 | 7

Last season there was much optimistic talk around Sussex – as well as further afield - of Albion following Norwich’s example by going straight up to the Premier League, and when the team hit the top early on it seemed a sif the talk might be justified. In the end, a mid-table finish felt like something of an anti-climax, and is perhaps the

reason that fe wof the newspapers’ pre-season predictions put Poyet’s men in the frame for promotion.

Crofts, though, is happy for the Seagulls to be flying under the radar. “Definitely. The press can say what they want, but what happens on the pitch is most important. We will do what we can to achieve and give it our best shot.

“There are 15, 16 teams in this league who all have a chance of doing well this year, and we are no different. Everyone knows where the club wants to be, and it’s easier said than done, but we’re going to do the utmost to achieve what we want to achieve. We want to win every game and see where it takes us.”

“ It’s amazing, as soon as I drove into the stadium I got that buzz. I hope the stadium is going to be a fortress and these are really

exciting times for the football club. ” sXs

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I’m delighted to have been appointed full-time goalkeeping coach at Crawley, taking care of the first-team

goalkeepers. I train every day and love working with the likes of Paul Jones. It is something I have been doing for a while but now it is my main job and I could not be more pleased. I’m still registered as a player so I can play when needed.I’m looking to start my UEFA A coaching badge as soon as possible and hopefully I can add it to my qualifications within two years.With the likes of Richie Barker, Craig Brewster and Steve Coppell (pictured) around we’ve got a fantastic off-the-field team. They’ve got such a lot of knowledge between them. Crawley is in very capable hands and I’m learning every day.

I’m delighted Richie Barker has come in as Crawley manager. It is early doors in the season but all the players are really buying into his concept. Richie and I were talking about each of our days at Brighton. he’d just left before I arrived but quite a few of the Albion players I played with used to be a team mate of Richie’s. They all speak highly of him and nobody was surprised he turned out to become a manager. People have mentioned how promotion would mean we’ve gone up for three seasons in a row. Beating Scunthorpe 3-0

in the opening league game was fantastic but we are realistic and know the season is going to be tough. We’ll be up against teams with big budgets and histories, even Premier league histories. But we are confident in our own abilities and what we can achieve. I’m looking forward to a successful season. My testimonial match turned out be a really wonderful evening. It was a proud moment for myself as a former Albion player to walk out on to the Amex pitch and finally after all these years to play at Brighton’s new stadium. I am proud to have played my part in achieving the new stadium. I came out before the game – which was against Reading – with my son Duke to a fantastic greeting from the stands. It was very emotional when I came

out onto the pitch and for 20 minutes I was able to keep my emotions under control. I felt sharp, made a good save and I got a standing ovation for it which was brilliant. When Gus Poyet made a change to bring on Tomasz Kuszczak and I said my farewells, my emotions got the better of me. I wiped away tears of joy for having been able to play there and tears of sadness that I’d realised it would be the last time I’d played for Brighton. I am really grateful to Brighton and my employers Crawley for allowing me the opportunity.

It is a fantastic stadium. The playing surface was superb and it was brilliant to play with the current Albion squad. All the Brighton players and coaches made me feel so welcome. It was a great experience to be in the changing room with them and they were all really happy for me. My son Duke started his season well for Albion under-11s, scoring two goals away to Portsmouth. The Brighton Academy U11s train three times a week and play a match at the weekend. It is great for the boys`s development and they will face strong opposition from academy teams across the south of England. Enjoy this edition of Sussex Sport and look forward to an other successful season for both Crawley and Brighton, Come on Sussex!

MiCHel KuiPeRS

CRAWlEy TOWN AND FORMER AlBION GOAlKEEPER ON A NEW ROlE AND MANAGER

wiTh The LikeS of riChie BArker, CrAiG BrewSTer AnD STeve CoPPeLL ArounD we’ve GoT A fAnTASTiC off-The-fieLD TeAM. They’ve GoT SuCh A LoT of knowLeDGe BeTween TheM. CrAwLey iS in very CAPABLe hAnDS.

issue 13 | 9

As he surveyed the Broadfield Stadium for the first time as Crawley Town manager the

memories came flooding back.“I remember coming here in 1998.

I think it was when I was playing for Brighton and scoring at that end,” he said, pointing towards the Bruce Winfield Stand.

“When you think of where the club was then and even a couple of years ago what has happened is nothing short of unbelievable – this is a club moving in the right direction.”

So is Richie Barker, in more ways than one.

One of the emerging young managers in the League, the 37-year-old has earned his spurs during two years at Bury, the last 14 months as manager.

He took over initially on a caretaker basis in April 2011, guided the Shakers to six successive wins and promotion to League One.

Last season, they finished a creditable

14th, an outstanding performance considering that in terms of size of the club and finances they are one of the smaller outfits in the division.

Having already worked at Gigg Lane since 2010 as Head of Youth and reserve-team boss, he admits it was a wrench to leave the club but once Crawley’s interest became known he was equally adamant he wanted to come to the club.

“Crawley are like Bury in some ways in terms that the club has a small backroom team but one which is very dedicated. But the move also appealed because my wife and three children live in Hove. We met when I played at Brighton (1997-99) and it will be great to be able to drive home in 25 minutes.”

Barker has certainly had to hit the ground running. He arrived just a

week before Crawley kicked off their season in the Capital One Cup against Millwall but didn’t need long to make an impression.

Maintaining the pleasing-on-the-eye passing game which his squad had been working on under predecessor Sean O’Driscoll, Crawley drew 2-2 at The Den before knocking out Championship Millwall 4-1 on penalties to earn a crack at another Championship side, Bolton Wanderers, in the second round.

Then on the opening day of the League One campaign, Barker saw his side win 3-0 at home to Scunthorpe United thanks to two goals from skipper Gary Alexander and a header by Jonathan Forte, the Southampton forward signed on the eve of the new season.

There promises to be some tougher challenges as the season unfolds but Barker has inherited a confident squad used to winning games which definitely helps.

“It has been a bit hectic so I have had to hit the ground running,” he said. “But it’s not about what happens over the first few days it’s about the season as a whole.

“There is a lot of confidence among the squad which is understandable after the last two years and there is plenty of experience of League One as well which helps.

“We will be looking to add to it but I think the players that are here already deserve a chance to show what they can do as well.”

In managerial terms Richie is still relatively inexperienced which is why he is happy to call on the knowledge of Director of Football Steve Coppell and Head Coach Craig Brewster, who are both an integral part of his back-room team.

But like all No.1s in football he has also to be his own man. Bury earned a reputation last season for trying to play the right way and having got used to a passing style in O’Driscoll’s brief tenure in charge there is unlikely to be a sea change in the way the Crawley players approach the new season.

“This is a very exciting time to be part of this football club,” he added. “We are ambitious as a club and as a squad and I am really looking forward to trying to take Crawley Town forward.”

Footballsussexsport

sXs

issue 13 | 11

We’re moving in the right directionNew Crawley boss talks to BRUCE TALBOT

RICHIE BARKER FACTFILEAge: 37Born: SheffieldManagement: Bury Head of Youth and reserve manager 2010; Caretaker manager 2011; Manager 2011-12.

BArker hAS CerTAinLy hAD To hiT The GrounD runninG. he ArriveD juST A week Before CrAwLey kiCkeD off Their SeASon BuT DiDn’T neeD LonG To MAke An iMPreSSion.

Footballsussexsport

issue 13 | 13

sussexsport

Get involved and have a mash upRyan out to create a community of sport. sussexsport reports

There is no better time to be a sporting enthusiast in educational establishments

with the London 2012 Olympics proving the catalyst for further attention to be placed around sport in education.

The Sussex County Football Association have recently employed Michael Ryan as College and Community Football Coordinator to address the dropout rate of 16-19 year olds in football, whilst seeking to develop initiatives to increase participation in the latter years of secondary school and the early years of university.

He holds a strong belief that quality sporting provision in either schools, colleges and universities will provide a firm foundation for sporting success in Sussex.

Ryan is currently seeking to implement key projects and initiatives throughout Sussex.

Firstly, the national FA and Vauxhall Motors have combined to create The FA Vauxhall Youth Programme aimed at tackling the football drop out of teenagers in the 14-17 age groups. They will be able to sign up for a ten-week block of sessions, which will cater for all abilities and fitness levels.

It is hoped these sessions will inspire teenagers to get back into affiliated football in either small-sided or 11 v 11 formats. These sessions are known as ‘Football Mash Up’,

a number of venues in Sussex are currently being considered for The FA Vauxhall Youth Programme and sport centres are encouraged to contact Ryan highlighting their interest in the programme.

The second project that is currently being launched throughout Sussex is TEAM 19. It is fully supported by both British College Sport and the national FA, aiming to increase participation in Further Education Colleges in Sussex.

TEAM 19 enhances inter-mural playing opportunities for students aged 16-19, offering them an opportunity to compete regularly at college in social and competitive small-sided leagues. TEAM 19 leagues are to be supported by student management teams based on the college site. The teams’ duties include administration, officiating, advertisement and team management. TEAM 19 leagues are fully supported by Ryan, who believes the concept will create a ‘Community of Sport’, providing an incentive for recruiting students not currently involved with physical activities.

The third main project being launched throughout Sussex is the creation of FA Mars Just Play Centres for regular, flexible playing opportunities for adults aged 18 years and above. Ryan believes it is essential to utilize sports facilities based upon university sites to provide further playing opportunities for students alongside

their academic studies. For some players affiliated football

is not an option either because of a lack of desire, time commitment, ability or simply that they don’t want to play competitive football. For these players, FA Mars Just Play offers a viable alternative to allow them to engage with the game in an organised, informal environment, something that hasn’t been openly provided before.

Pay and play sessions will be delivered across the county at the centres in association with Ryan, the Sussex County FA and other partners with the aim of encouraging adults to re-engage with the game. FA Mars Just Play Centres will host sessions on a weekly basis, players will know they can turn up as often as they want for a game to fit in with their lifestyle.

Ryan believes that with the projects a ‘Player Pathway’ will be provided so young people in Sussex ‘can be given high quality footballing opportunities alongside their potential sporting commitments outside of school, college or university. Young people spend large amounts of time inside of an educational establishment, so the projects will re-engage them with sport. And they, in turn, might provide playing opportunities to future generations.

To get in touch with Michael Ryan via the Sussex FA phone 01903 766855 or email [email protected].

At the time of writing, it is early August and Sussex have everything to play for. We are on a roll and are

third in the County Championship. We play Middlesex tomorrow and a win could place us in the top two. We are second in the CB40 competition and play leaders Warwickshire on Wednesday, so a lord’s Final could be on the horizon. We are already awaiting t20 Finals Day in Cardiff. What a great position to be in. I can’t tell how things will be when you pick up this edition of your Sussex Sport ‘but I can say to be fighting in all three trophies at this stage is a great testament to Robbo and

the lads.August is a funny month in the cricket calendar because, even though there is a lot to play for, you can’t help browsing into the future and think the season is already nearly over. A lot of people see cricket as a summer sport with everyone going into hibernation during the winter. Nothing could be further from the truth. I thought this was a good opportunity to give you an insight into the internal workings of the cricket club.On the playing front and after a long season, most of the players will take their holidays at the end of the September or early October. But this year if we win the t20 competition, they will head off to South

Africa for Champions league, where all the best t20 teams from around the world will slug it out for the honour of being the No1 t20 team on the planet. Once that has come to end, a lot of the playing squad will say their goodbyes to each other and follow different paths. Matt Prior, luke Wright and Monty Panesar will be hoping for a winter with England, some others will head off abroad to play club cricket. I know Chris Nash is joining Kirk Wernars and Michael Rippon in plying his trade for the Western Province Club in Cape Town. hard life eh!? I’m sure outside of their England aspirations Matt and luke will be hoping

for a chance in the Indian Premier league.Many of the squad will be staying at home to work on their game. Their winter will probably consist of a lot of strength and fitness training pre- Christmas and a lot of specific skills work in the New year. last year a lot of specific areas were worked on such as sweeping, reverse sweeping and playing the 80mph-plus away swinging ball. Bowlers are continually looking to acquire new weapons in their armoury, such as ‘yorkers’, new slower balls and the slow bouncer. A lot of skills are worked on off-season, as when the team is playing it is all about competing with the opposition. There is also a possibility of Sussex running a

training camp in Port Elizabeth for three weeks in mid-February, where some of the squad can practise their skills in the warmer climes of South Africa.In January last year Sussex competed in the West Indies t20 domestic competition and hopefully this will be the case in 2013.The squad will then head off on their pre-season trip to compete and practice in the Dubai t20 Competition. last year, Sussex saw off the challenge of lancashire, Durham and the MCC to win the Trophy. So all in all, as you can see, definitely not a hint of hibernation in sight.As for the ground, that also is a hive of

activity. Throughout the winter, Kevin Berry, helen Allan and the catering team will be maximising our fantastic new hospitality facilities. The commercial team will be promoting our 1839 Catering Brand throughout the close season, to make everyone aware of the outstanding non-match hospitality options available. We have already had 20 wedding breakfast bookings during 2012 and are now in the process of filling our Events Diary with Christmas parties. I will be running my third and fourth “ Where Cricket Meets Dinners” in September and November, where lewis Moody and Ray “ Butch” Wilkins will be my guests.

COTTS’ COluMn

FORMER SUSSEX BATSMAN TONY COTTEY ON WHY AUGUST IS A FUNNY MONTH IN THE CRICKET CALENDAR

MAny of The SquAD wiLL Be STAyinG AT hoMe To work on Their GAMe. Their winTer wiLL ProBABLy ConSiST of A LoT of STrenGTh AnD fiTneSS TrAininG Pre- ChriSTMAS AnD A LoT of SPeCifiC SkiLLS work in The new yeAr.

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sussexsport

Cricket

sussexsport

Treble dream overSharks lack bite on t20 Finals Day. sussexsport reports

CAPTAIN Michael Yardy has insisted Chris Nash lacked support as Sussex hopes of

a treble this season were ended on the Friends Life t20 Finals Day at the SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff.

Nash scored 80 but Murray Goodwin was the only other county bat to reach double figures as the Sharks lost in the semi-finals to Yorkshire Carnegie.

Yardy, in his last game as skipper, said: “We needed to have a big partnership up top and unfortunately we couldn’t do that. For one guy to get 80 not out and another 15 and nobody else get in double figures you are not going to win too many games. When you are chasing 20 or 30 more than you should be it puts extra pressure on the batsmen. If we had bowled and fielded a lot better it would have held us in good stead. Unfortunately you don’t get a second chance in a semi-final.”

Nash added: “Anything between 150 and 160 was a total we could have got but as soon as we lost early wickets we were in trouble.”

The Sharks – with Sussex pushing for glory in the County Championship and CB40 - had sailed through as South Group winners and comfortably won their quarter-final against Gloucestershire Gladiators at a packed PROBIZ County Ground, Hove, in July.

It was Sussex’s first appearance at Finals Day since they won the tournament at Edgbaston in 2009 and, with two successive quarter-final defeats in the two following seasons, they were eager to prove themselves.

They were backed by a strong and noisy following from Sussex against Yorkshire Carnegie, conquerors of Worcestershire Royals in the last eight and one of only a handful of sides who had never played Finals Day.

The Sharks aimed to take advantage of the Tykes’ inexperience and progress

to an evening shoot-out against either Hampshire Royals or Somerset for a chance to win the FL t20 for the second time.

Boosted by the return of New Zealander Scott Styris, who had flown back in to join up with the Sharks following his mercurial 37-ball century against Gloucestershire in the quarter-final, Sussex also had Matt Prior in the line-up following his England commitments. Prior had already scored nearly 250 runs in this year’s competition despite some of the Group games clashing with his involvement in international fixtures.

Yorkshire elected to bat first after winning the toss and, with some tight bowling in the early exchanges from Styris and Yardy, things looked to be going Sussex’s way as the Tykes were reduced to 36 for 3 in the sixth over. The promising Joe Root was trapped leg-before to an attempted yorker from Styris. An 82-run partnership between Jonathan Bairstow (68 not out), another player released from the England side,

and hard-hitting South African David Miller (47) changed the complexion of the innings and the Finals Day debutants reached 172 for 6 from their 20 overs, which looked to be a stiff target on a slowish pitch.

Styris finished with figures of 3 for 22 from his four overs and was the pick of the Sussex bowling and Chris Liddle ended the late-hitting threat by removing both Gary Ballance and Tim Bresnan.

The Sharks knew they would have to bat well to chase down this total but two of their key batsmen were back in the pavilion inside the first three overs of the innings. Luke Wright, who had already scored 300 runs in the tournament this term, chopped on from former England seamer Ryan Sidebottom and Prior could only find

the hands of Ballance as he looked to pull international team-mate Bresnan over mid-on.

Nash, so often a figurehead at the top of the order for Sussex in all three formats of the game, held the innings together and put on 40 with Goodwin, who attempted to steady the ship before holing out to Ballance in the deep off the bowling of Richard Pyrah for 15.

Joe Gatting could only add three to the score before he was bowled by Pyrah but there was a sense of renewed optimism from supporters when Styris strode to the crease in search of a similar innings in Sussex colours to his knock against Gloucestershire, the equal third-fastest t20 hundred of all time.

It wasn’t to be, though, as he failed to get hold of Azeem Rafiq and found the safe hands of Ballance once again waiting on the straight boundary for only eight.

Nash ploughed a lone furrow for the Sharks, but Sussex’s luck was epitomised with the dismissal of Will

Beer. With Yardy and Matt Machan both having been dismissed and the Sharks still needing 72 with little more than three overs remaining, the rampant Nash smashed Sidebottom back towards the bowler whose slight touch diverted the ball onto the stumps and accounted for Beer being run out at the non-striker’s end.

It summed up a below-par performance for Sussex, bar Nash. His superb unbeaten innings of 80 took only 58 balls as he carried his bat, consisting of eight fours and two sixes, as the Sharks went down by 36 runs. Cuckfield-born James Vince (36) helped Hampshire Royals defeat Yorkshire Carnegie in the final after overcoming Somerset in their semi-final. sXs

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ChriS nASh - “AnyThinG BeTween 150 AnD 160 wAS A ToTAL we CouLD hAve GoT BuT AS Soon AS we LoST eArLy wiCkeTS we were in TrouBLe”

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“ For one guy to get 80 not out and another 15 and nobody else get in double

figures you are not going to win too many games”

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FootballOUR HARD-HITTING COLUMNIST ON WHY KEVIN PIETERSEN SHOULD PUT HIS TEAMMATES FIRST

Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.

Interesting quote that. It came from one of basketball’s greatest ever players and ultimate team man, Earvin Magic Johnson. I wonder if “Magic” has ever heard of Kevin Pietersen? Or perhaps more pertinently, I wonder if Kevin Pietersen has ever heard Johnson’s quote? Even if he has, I doubt very much if Pietersen has the wherewithal to understand the strength of its meaning.Why? Because Kevin Pietersen is a maverick, always has been, always will be. Ian Botham was a maverick, so too was Shane Warne, Sir Gary Sobers and David Gower, as were many, many

others who have stood astride the very top of Test Match cricket. But the difference between those legendary players and Pietersen is that despite them displaying a certain amount of aloofness when they were at the very height of their careers, every single one of them understood that they required the help of often inferior players to allow them to perform on the highest stage of all, and importantly, they respected most of them too. I think that the recent shenanigans by Kevin Pietersen regarding “Textgate” have demonstrated that he’s never quite grasped that.

If you ever wanted confirmation of that, then the best place to start is by viewing the crass, self-indulgent interview that Pietersen released to the world on youTube, which shows him in all his self-obsessed glory. Can you imagine the size of ego required to record and release an interview like that and actually think that it was going to help matters? Pietersen’s advisors’ lack of judgement is surely only matched by Pietersen’s own lack of understanding of the human condition. The message was basically, “I’ve changed my mind now, so everything is going to be fine. Ok with you?” A distinct lack of apology, contrition and emotional intelligence. But plenty of ego.

Within days came the admission of his provocative texts to certain South Africans that appear to have been less than flattering to his captain, Andrew Strauss. To his credit, Pietersen apologised, but having declined the chance to do so when he released his bizarre youTube clip, do we really think it is a sincere apology? Even in his apology he dismissed the texts as banter. Banter, that old chestnut. One man’s banter is another man’s bullying, I’ll leave you to decide where Pietersen’s intent with those mocking texts lay. Fortunately, there is one positive to

come out of this ridiculous affair. Andrew Strauss. In the face of intense questioning when it broke before the final Test, he displayed strength, character, intelligence and control in every question he answered. Pietersen could only dream to have given such a performance. It was a tour de force of leadership under stress and scrutiny.Four times, an unwavering Strauss answered a question with the response that issues surrounding lack of “trust and mutual respect are not dealt with overnight”. In short, there’s absolutely no way back for Pietersen in the short term. And why would there be? Any person, in any walk of life caught blatantly undermining their boss so

publically would expect reprisals, as Pietersen is now experiencing. Ultimately, it could spell the end of his England career as it appears that it’s not just the captain that he has wronged, but the rest of his team too.Ask not what your teammates? can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates.” I respectfully suggest to Mr Pietersen that he takes a look at that quote and tries to look deep inside himself for the answer. My guess though is that he won’t have the slightest idea where to begin in finding the solution to that particular riddle.

DAve BRAyley

There’S ABSoLuTeLy no wAy BACk for PieTerSen in The ShorT TerM. why wouLD There Be? Any PerSon CAuGhT BLATAnTLy unDerMininG Their BoSS wouLD exPeCT rePriSALS

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sussexsport

Sussex played their part in Team GB’s glorious Olympics.

The county produced two silver medallists and one bronze and others who made Sussex proud in what has been hailed the greatest Games of them all.

Over the next three pages we focus on all but one (eventer Tina Cook, part of the host’s medal-winning eventing team is featured in The Big Interview).

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Ashleigh Ball (pictured) has golden ambitions – thanks to Great Walstead High School.

Her former school has taken great pride in their former pupil after she helped Team GB to win a bronze medal at the London Olympics.

And Ball, who learned the sport at the independent girls school at Lindfield, close to Haywards Heath, will forever be grateful to her place of education as she aims towards winning a gold medal in Rio in four years.

The 26-year-old from Brighton played her part in a 3-1 victory against New Zealand which secured bronze at the Riverbank Arena. It was the first Olympic medal for British women’s hockey in 20 years, since bronze was struck at the Barcelona Games.

But Ball knows there is a need to improve despite the heroic performances in the host Olympics.

The midfielder said: “We need to look at our displays in London and how we can improve on them. We did well to prove we can compete with the best teams in the world.

“But to take that step or two further and get a silver or gold we have to get better than we are at the moment.

“It will help that we’ve raised the profile of women’s hockey and women playing sport in general in Britain. If you aim for the skies you can achieve anything.”

Ball, though, gave herself time to savour the bronze-medal triumph.

She said: “It was an unbelievable experience. Absolutely amazing. “

MEN’S HOCKEY

Ashley Jackson has emerged the one East Grinstead player who might help Team GB claim hockey gold in Rio in four years.

The blond free-scoring ace netted six as he helped the hosts to fourth place in the London Olympics.

He has been compared to handsome David Beckham in looks and flamboyant Cristiano Ronaldo in ability.

But the only relevant comparison has been to Sean Kerly, the free-scoring hero of GB’s last gold medal-winning Olympics in Seoul in 1988.

Kerly says Jackson is “one of the best in the world” and shows “flashes of brilliance”.

Jackson tweeted: “Onwards and upwards. London 2012 was truly memorable. Thank you to everyone was made this experience so special.

sussex Olympians had a Ball at GamesThe pride of the county. MIKE DONOVAN reports

COnTInuEd On paGE 22

“It’s been one hell of a roller coaster ride. The highs and lows have been very emotional.”

And he even took time out to praise Ashleigh Ball’s Team GB women’s team on their bronze.

He tweeted: “My congratulations to the girls for the bronze medal. Enjoy.”

Clubmate Iain Lewers scored the lone goal as Team GB lost 3-1 in the match for bronze and described the defeat as “devastating” and added it might be time to “blood new players”. Other members of the team included East Grinstead’s Barry Middleton, the captain, and Glenn Kirkham.”

Team GB’s Ben Hawes, 32, from Lewes, is considering retiring from the international arena after 222 appearances.

SAILING

Saskia Clark, the former University of Chichester, will aim for Rio in 2016 after claiming a silver medal in the London Games.

Saskia, a veteran of the Beijing Olympics, was encouraged by the performance with new partner Hannah Mills in the 470 women’s pair (pictured).

They went into the final day leading the standings on the same number of points as the New Zealanders Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie.

Clark, 32, and Mills, 24, had a good start to lead their rivals but fell away as their rivals claimed gold.

The former county student was “gutted” but realised it was a “great

achievement” to have got silver.She said: “Hannah and I only got

together in February last year and had to fight for selection in a three-month window. We got better and better. We’ve agreed immediately to go for Rio.”

Steve Morrison, from Eastbourne, might strike a medal in Brazil after an encouraging campaign in the 49ers

in the 2012 Olympic sailing event at Weymouth. His effort of fifth with crew Ben Rhodes was four spots better than the pair achieved in Beijing.

SWIMMING

Gemma Spofforth, the Sussex Sport columnist, is considering twin peaks after missing out on a bronze medal at the Oympics in the 100m backstroke by just 0.37sec after finishing fifth in the Olympics.

The Sussex ace, who was fourth at the 2008 Beijing Games, wants to climb Mount Everest AND race in the Commonwealth Games in two years.

The world record holder, born in Shoreham and raised in Slindon, said: “I think I can prepare to climb Everest and remain competitive as a swimmer. I got the climbing bug when I started it this year to help my swimming.

“I’ve taken away the positives from London. I was disappointed with the fifth place at first because I really wanted a medal after what had happened in Beijing. But I feel the journey is more important than the destination and the Games helped rekindle my love and passion for the sport when I was ready to quit a year or two ago.

“The Commonwealth Games could be my last big meeting. I’m considering going for it.”

Gemma has gone through a roller-coaster of emotions in recent years following personal tragedies with her mum Leslie passing away through cancer in December 2007 and her father Mark losing his next partner, June, to the same condition. June also lost her daughter, Vicky, to cancer.

The swimmer, who has won world and European titles, reveals in her autobiography there was a moment she contemplated suicide.

But the former Bognor club member is enjoying life again – with the help of London 2012.

CLAY PIGEON SHOOTING

Sussex clay shooter Charlotte Kerwood (pictured on opposite) has already taken aim for a third Olympics inspired by her pal Peter Wilson.

Wilson won the men’s double trap and was in the crowd as Kerwood finished 16th in the women’s trap.

Bubbly Kerwood said: “I had a great time watching Peter do so well. It was the highlight of the Games for me.

“I’m keeping my fingers crossed I will win gold in Rio and get cheered like Peter deservedly was in London.”

The Commonwealth Games champion, coached by her dad Dan at his Northall range in Fletching, was a confirmed pick for Team GB only after Abbey Burton, the world No.4, ranked ten spots higher than her, lost her appeal against not being chosen.

Kerwood said: “I struggled to stay in the present, thinking too much about the end, early on and shot better in the final round.”

KAYAKING

Jess was the poster girl of the Olympics. Jess Ennis that is.

But our Jess, Sussex sprint canoeist Jessica Walker, didn’t do too badly.

The more famous one claimed gold in the women’s heptathlon on an unforgettable night for British athletics which saw teammate, long jumper Greg Rutherford and 10,000m hero Mo Farah, also claim first places in the same hour.

But the lesser known Jess, 22, from Brighton, secured seventh and fifth after reaching the finals in the K1 200m and K4 500.

Yet her second Olympic experience – she was 17th in the K2 500 with Anna Hemmings in Beijing - taught her she might be better off at longer distances having a shortage of necessary pace exposed in the Eton Dorney sprints.

She plans to give the K1 500 a go in Rio and couple it up with a crack at the 200.

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HANDBALL

Cuckfield-born Mark Hawkins, 26, and Crowborough’s Seb Prieto, 25, were unable to help Team GB qualify from their group at the Olympics – but they created history by being part of the first ever British team to compete in the men’s handball at the Games.

WATER POLO

Jack Waller (pictured), from Battle, and Chichester’s Lisa Gibson are young enough to campaign for Rio.

The water polo pair were encouraged as Britain’s men and women’s teams in the sport proved they could be competitive, although neither team could muster a victory between them in a high-quality field.

sussexsport

“ I had a great time watching peter do so well. It

was the highlight of the Games for me.”

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sussexsport

It felt as if I was walking into disney WorldSally Gunnell’s Olympic experience. A sussexsport EXCLUSIVE

The Olympics certainly gave Sussex sport a boost. It was excellent the county had a few

medallists like Tina Cook from Findon in the eventing, Ashleigh Ball from Brighton in the women’s hockey and Chichester sailor Saskia Clark.

I saw Ashleigh help Team GB to bronze and I was with my husband Jon when we bumped into Tina after she’d won her silver for a good old chat. Tina was well chuffed. She was going off to meet Zara Phillips, her team-mate, on the last night in the village for a bit of a party. She gave me her number and said we must come up and have a little look at her set-up. So we’ll take the boys over to her stables.

There were quite a few other sports in which the county was represented like swimming, with Gemma Spofforth, the men’s hockey, with quite a few East Grinstead club players, including Ashley Jackson, who was a bit of a star, handball (Mark Hawkins and Seb Prieto), and water polo (Jack Waller and Lisa Graham).

And the fact we had so many competing in so many different competitions also reflects well on the county.

We might not have got as many who did as well as athletes from Yorkshire - who got a lot of publicity for producing quite a few medallists - but Sussex did well.

Every day you got that buzz. I felt I was walking into Disney World every day, like a little kid. The excitement was there. In the stadium every day was a new audience and they couldn’t wait to get in there at the first opportunity to cheer, sing, clap, anything. They were just going

to go for it.That was reflected by the fact 80,000

were packed in for the first prelims of the athletics. We’ve never had that. I’ve never known it. Not in Sydney. Not any Olympics. To have that was brilliant.

The atmosphere was electric at all the venues I visited. I was speaking to the rowers and they talked about the noise. To the point they couldn’t hear instructions while racing. They said they’d never heard anything like it. I’m sure the crowd got Mo Farah across the line in the 5,000 at the main stadium. It picked him up and took him along to the finishing line. I’d have loved it. I’d have been nervous but would have taken the challenge full on.

I celebrated the 20-year anniversary of my 400m hurdles gold in Barcelona on the 100m final night with Usain Bolt. My three boys were there and a couple of friends who happened to get tickets. Watched the 100m and then went back to GB House and had a little party in there with all the medallists coming in. I couldn’t think of a better way of remembering my gold. Sir Steve Redgrave was there, long jump gold medallist Greg Rutherford, double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes. Even One Direction and JLS came. I sat in the corner and my kids were off getting autographs.

I got to meet all Team GB’s medallists because I was a Games ambassador and was allowed into Team GB House. Laura Trott, Jason Kenny and other cyclists told me how hard they’d trained. I told them and all the other British winners to make sure they enjoyed the moment.

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Ed Clancy, another medal-winning cyclist, told me that he admired what I’d done because I’d done it on my own as opposed to being funded so well like him and so many others in the team. But I wouldn’t take anything away from him or them. They have the talent and worked for it.

It was nice, though, that quite a few of our Olympians came up to me, especially Vicky Pendleton, and told me how I had inspired them. There were only five gold medallists in Barcelona – as opposed to 29 in London - and I was the only woman among them to win one.

As an ambassador, I also got to look after Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, and Prime Minister David Cameron. We all sat together for a couple of hours talking high jump!

The Games for me was partly reliving some of the moments I had. It took me back and allowed me to be an Olympic champion again.

But I didn’t feel like I wish I’d have been out there, although I’d loved to have experienced what Jess Ennis, who I had helped a little, felt after winning the heptathlon. There was a lot of pressure and expectation on her.

Just amazed at how well we did finishing third in the medal table with 65 and in staging the whole thing. We all had our reservations. I was worried about the opening ceremony and the transport. And the security side of it.

It’s having the experience of two past Olympics and knowing what to compare it to helped it to be so successful. To look back now, I can’t fault anything. EVERYTHING was just unbelievable.

Security? I worked for Sky and they gave me a report where there’d only been a handful of arrests among the millions who went! It just caught the imagination of the nation. All those cynics who didn’t really want it and weren’t quite sure why we were doing it were converted. I felt proud to be British.

• As told to Mike Donovan

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The voice two rows behind Sussex Sport said “You should be supporting Japan. They

helped England make the semi-finals,”It was an admonishment to a home

supporter for having the temerity to cheer for South Africa as the Republic took on the team from the Land of the Rising Sun to decide who would finish ninth in the women’s hockey competition at the Riverbank Arena (formerly Hackney dog track).

By England, of course, the female admonisher meant Team GB as she was referring to the fact Japan’s victory over China ensured Brighton’s Ashleigh Ball and her Union flag flyers would go through to the last four.

All dreams Ashleigh and Co had locking horns for either a gold or silver medal dissolved under the floodlights

later that evening when they were defeated 2-1 by Argentina (just like they were on another global stage in football’s 1986 World Cup due to Maradona’s Hand of God goal).

Row 29 of entrance 208 was ‘up in the Gods’ of the Riverbank’s East Stand (surrounded by families, female hockey players and Mexican-wave rabble rousers), but offered a perfect view of the striking blue artificial pitch and pink surrounds of the hockey arena. You wondered what the old afternoon punters at the dog track would have made of the colour scheme and the accompanying razzamatazz.

There were smooth Home Counties tones of the commentator who explained what was going on as it happened. There was also his equally slick sidekick wandering around the crowd picking suitable members of the public to interview (one teenage female was forced to admit she quit

Teddington Hockey Club because she “got bored”, being shown a “red card” for such a confession). He also revved up the almost full capacity collective by encouraging football chanting (‘We are the East Stand. We are the East Stand. We are the East Stand Riverbank’).

Intermittent passages of music blasted out. A sin-binned player would be embarrassingly accompanied to the sidelines by James’ Sit Down”. Should a team seek a referral of a decision we heard the Beatles’ Help (I need somebody)’ . And when the crowd went quiet Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir or Queen’s We Will Rock You induced synchronised clapping and stomping.

It was far from ‘jolly hockey sticks’ but created a good atmosphere and unforgettable memories, particularly for the wide-eyed children, one who

was shown on the giant video screen ingenuously? demonstrating to the crowd how to dance to a McFly Olympic record).

Oh, yes, and the hockey was pretty good too. Japan, despite a flurry of their players having to listen to James, sealed ninth spot and smiled and waved on a lap of honour.

The following encounter between Germany and Korea for seventh produced a better game until the late in the second half when the former broke through to win by either 4-1 (according to the commentator) or 5-1 (according to the scoreboard).

We had witnessed true internationalism. The first game alone involved all the world’s inhabited continents with a team from Africa against one from Asia and umpired by an American and watched by Australians, Europeans and supporters of the competing teams.

And, of course, audience participation. From Park Live – where people lazed in front of a big screen showing action in arenas they did not have tickets for - to the main stadium hosting athletics you were encouraged to get involved.

There was also the walking. As you heard the roars from the athletics and wondered what a Brit had just achieved in it, the eyes and senses took in the site – the equivalent of 357 football pitches - on shanks’ pony. Curious to see imaginatively-designed arenas where sporting history had been taking place on a daily basis (cyclist Sir Chris Hoy had become the most gold-medalled Brit the day before).

We also learned to appreciate the imaginatively-dressed supporters. The Spanish Superman, the pair of French

‘cockerels,’ the vikings from Denmark, the Dutch in orange bowler hats, the lady from St Kitts and Nevis drabbed in the brightly-coloured emblem of her Caribbean Island. And the trio of Brits in identical Union flag suits.

And the imaginatively-landscaped gardens which provided an esthetic beauty with its flowers, plants and shrubs

Those wanting a breather from sport lounged on a lawn listening to eclectic music, from Scottish indie group Chasing Owls to a Canadian brass band. Or there was The Beat Box where you could remix a remix by DJ Mark Ronson

Or the brave Lily Allen soundalike strumming an amplified acoustic to passing supporters who seemed more preoccupied with getting tickets for the handball judging by the placards they carried.

The forecast for cool, cloudy weather

What would the dog track punters have made of the razzamatazz?Mike Donovan reports on what the Olympic Games was like as a spectator

London 2012

inTerMiTTenT PASSAGeS of MuSiC BLASTeD ouT. A Sin-BinneD PLAyer wouLD Be eMBArrASSinGLy ACCoMPAnieD To The SiDeLineS By jAMeS’ SiT Down.

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What would the dog track punters have made of the razzamatazz?Mike Donovan reports on what the Olympic Games was like as a spectator

sussexsport

proved inaccurate as the sun beat down for long spells as we played spot the celebrity. A few British Olympians and an Eastern European competitor passed by. Even actor Ted Danson (the barman in Cheers, you know). But the only occupant of the BBC studio from which Gary Lineker had been hosting a succession of British gold medal winners and foreign superstars was an engineer wearing headphones.

Every free attraction had queues as your intrepid Editor covered almost every square inch of the Park with his lovely wife. We only joined one - for the water fountain (to refill our plastic bottles). Oh, we did queue for another knowing it would cost us money - but you have to eat.

The final walk to the exit proved a test of endurance as ‘Park and Ride’ proved a concept beyond the grasp

of most of the otherwise helpful volunteers sprinkled around the site.

But we eventually found the coach back to Thurrock to pick up the car and the Sussex home we had left at 5am that morning.

A once-in-a-lifetime experience at Planet Earth’s greatest sporting jamboree – involving 204 countries and around 300 events – had, overall, been one to savour. But it had been wearing. As your Editor noticed as he pulled off his socks at bedtime. There was massive hole in the right hand sock.

The Olympics hopefully will inspire a generation - a message repeated all over the Park - to lead a fitter and more healthy life (we left a note to that effect tied to shrub alongside thousands of others). But it will also inspire Sussex Sport to purchase better quality socks.

“ From park live – where

people lazed in front of a big

screen - to the main stadium hosting

athletics you were encouraged to get

involved” sXs

The B

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silver lining in an annus horribilis MIKE DONOVAN meets the pride of Findon TINA Cook rolled down the

window of her car and told Sussex Sport: “I’ve just got to

go down to the butcher’s in the village before they close. I’ll only be a couple of minutes.”

We had driven into the Findon yard of the Olympic silver medallist to see its owner in her vehicle pointed at the exit.

Tina was the most successful Sussex-based athlete at arguably the greatest Games of them all; teaming up with royalty in the shape of her friend and teammate Zara Phillips, and Mary King, Nicola Wilson and William Fox-Pitt, to secure eventing glory for Team GB at London 2012..

But life carries on. Tina was looking after domestics. To Harry and Isabelle, seven and five, she remains just mum. And to the family’s black labrador Biscuit a provider of food and drink.

After returning from collecting provisions for them all, she smiled: “Things haven’t changed one bit. I

have two young children. Life clearly has to carry on as normal. I’m a mum, first and athlete second.

“I put my career ahead of that on specific occasions so for that Olympic week I was an athlete first. The Olympics were foremost in my mind. Soon as that was over I was with the children.

“I do have to divide my life into different sections, because I also work for my brother Nick in the family business of training racehorses and recently I’ve agreed to train point to pointers for Heart of the South Racing Club.

“From the outside you must think it is fairly bonkers.

“Ultimately my children come first and we have a lot of fun together. Not long after the Games I was being a

normal mum at a camp with them in Balcombe with a lot of other mums and children and really enjoying myself. It was a big contrast from the Olympics with all the fuss surrounding our winning the medal. The bodyguards and chauffeurs. The photographers snapping away. The people screaming at you.

“I have learned to enjoy and absorb those ultra ultra special moments like winning the silver as much as I can at the time because it goes by so quickly and, in general, gets forgotten so quickly. You do have to move on. Get on with what’s coming up next.”

What strikes you most about her is how she strives, with every utterance, action and, presumably, thought, to be normal, grounded.

It is an approach which has helped her through an annus horribilis.

Her horse, Miners Frolic, almost died through colitis. Her dad Josh, the legendary horse racing trainer and former champion jockey. passed away.

And, shortly before the Olympics began, she separated from husband Phil.

London 2012 was very much a silver lining because it gave her a much-needed focus.

“I’ve aged ten years in one,” said Tina, 41, who collected a record third Olympic medal on the horse which helped gained her two bronzes at the 2008 Beijing Games.

“It has been a tough year. It hasn’t been ideal for anyone. We are an emotional family and my dad’s death hit us hard. There was the separation from my husband as well. And my horse was so ill a year ago we weren’t expecting to be competing the Olympics. It is a bit of a fairytale with what he’s done and how we’ve achieved it from basically near death.

“It was a lot of hard work from everybody. Rachel, who works for me, to the staff and nurses at the Arundel Equine Hospital that treated Miners Frolic.

“I was hard on myself going in because I hate letting people down. There was so many I felt responsible for that I didn’t want to mess up. I’d got to do my bit. It couldn’t all be down to the horse.

“Getting the medal has, of course, made it all worthwhile. That has meant a huge amount to me. I know dad would have been very proud that we were able to hold it together. And it was great for mum because it has been a particularly tough time for her. She was with me every day. She sacrificed her Olympic dream by selling her horse so she and my dad could start the business and has been so supportive.

“If I’d have gone there and failed it would have been a very different story. I’m very ambitious. I strive to do

well. Just to be part of the Olympics, though was totally mind-blowing.”

The reaction to her success has touched Tina, who has attended a celebration party in her village at the Gun Inn public house (and another at the home of Miners Frolic’s owners).

She said: “I’ve lived here in Findon all my life and there was a huge turnout in the pub. I feel everyone’s proud of me. They’ve seen what I’ve been through. How hard I work. Everyone is, genuinely, behind me. They’ve known me since I was little growing up. Know I have a lot on my plate. It is just myself and the children now and it is comforting to know I have so many friends and have so much support from the village.”

“My ChiLDren CoMe firST AnD we hAve A LoT of fun ToGeTher. noT LonG AfTer The GAMeS i wAS BeinG A norMAL MuM AT A CAMP wiTh TheM in BALCoMBe wiTh A LoT of oTher MuMS”

The B

ig Interviewsussexsport

“It was massive adrenalin the whole week I was there. You think you are relaxed

but you are pumped up. you get more anxious you don’t make a mistake.”

issue 13 | 29

silver lining in an annus horribilis MIKE DONOVAN meets the pride of Findon

The B

ig Interview

sussexsport

30 | issue 13

“I would love to go to Rio if I had a horse good, fit, sound and well enough. It

is perfectly possible Miners Frolic might be able to compete. He would be 18. ”

Tina remains a world-class eventer but ekes out an existence through her skills in nurturing young horses with the potential to emulate Miners Frolic (on top of assisting her brother Nick at Downs Stables and, soon, point-to-pointers) through training and competing.

Between winning silver and attending the closing ceremony, she competed on early developers Regal Red and De Novo News at Hartpury.

She said: “I was very aware I needed to get back to business as soon as I could. So many events got cancelled this year and I’d also spent time on the Olympics. It was important to give these horses a prep for competitions they are in the autumn. They are horses being paid for by owners who have been very supportive while I was at the Games and they deserve to be kept happy.

“To be honest, I no more wanted to go to Hartpury as fly to the moon. It was a real struggle to get my head in gear and get into the lorry and drive over there with three horses knowing you are camping in the lorry for four days. It meant I swooped back to earth quickly. Luckily the horses went well. It was job done. But it did feel like a job. I’d have preferred to have been lying on a sunbed.”

She hopes her success at the Olympics will help boost her earning potential.

Tina said: “I might end up looking for an agent because I just don’t have the time to write to people, which you need to do to attract sponsors. If someone’s got the choice of a gold or silver medallist to promote they are going to go for the gold medallist. Unfair? It is. That’s the reality of life. It is human nature.”

I ask whether the Zara Phillips factor would help.

“Mmmm.,” she pondered, non-committedly.

There is no question the pair, who attracted worldwide headlines for going to a McDonald’s in the Olympic village (although Tina opted for a chicken wrap not, as was widely reported, a burger) after clinching silver, are good pals.

Tina said: “We have a very close relationship. We get on well. We met when she was a ‘little brat’ running round – a bit like my two now – and I was 20 at Gatcombe and have been good friends since. She was very much a part of the team. We knew there would be extra publicity because it was Zara. That was fine. It comes with the package. We just got on with it. She’s got such a good

brain and is so level headed you don’t have to pamper her. Grannie is her pet name for me because I’m older. Because it is coming out of her mouth I joke ‘can’t you stop calling me that!’ I’m obviously not a grannie – and certainly not hers! It’s all a bit of fun.”

The overall experience of London 2012 through the competition and behind the scenes has kept the fire burning for the Rio Olympics in four years.

She said: I was like a kid in a sweetshop. I would be in the great big food hall and Chris Hoy would walk past you. Rebecca Adlington would be going up to get her salad. Just athletes and coaches. No hangers-on. Everyone was there to do a job. We all chatted. Everyone was genuinely interested in what you do. I was sitting next to Rebecca Adlington and Vicky Pendleton. It was like ‘that’s Vicky Pendleton off the telly’ and we were having his normal conversation and I was trying not to be uncool. You had to pinch yourself to think they were interested in your sport.

“We had half an hour on the bus to go in every day from the Olympic village so you could chill out. There was also an extra house just outside the gates of the site where you could chill out, read a paper, have a cup of coffee. Simple things like that were so important. Invaluable to keeping your sanity. Everything was done for you to help you compete at your best.

But it still, of course, came down to how Tina performed on board Miners Frolic in Greenwich - for the dressage and showjumping in the arena and the park for the cross country - which mattered. Even if the Duke of Edinburgh, Wills and Kate, Prince Harry, former Olympian Princess Anne and Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice were watching along with tens of thousands plus billions worldwide.

That’s where Tina’s approach to ensure normality proved crucial.

She said: “It was massive adrenalin the whole week I was there. You think you are relaxed but you are pumped up. You get more anxious you don’t make a mistake, about the jumping, the stride pattern, the speed you are at. And it comes down to you. You can’t let your brain get carried away and thinking about who is watching, what it means. Otherwise you freeze and put bad vibes on to the horse. If you ride him in a different way he’d think ‘what’s she doing?’. I had to stay as normal as I could be. Mind over matter. Stay in the present. Fortunately, because I was

experienced, I knew how to focus.“All three phases had their dramas.

You had to be at such a high level of performance. You couldn’t afford to put a bad one in. The standard was so high.

“We weren’t favourites by any stretch of the imagination. We thought we’d be a long way behind the Germans but got so close to beating them for gold. We’d have been helped if the cross country had been more difficult as that was what our horses were best at. Yet the ground was slippery, like running across ice on a horse with bare feet.

“I would love to go to Rio if I had a horse good, fit, sound and well enough. It is perfectly possible Miners Frolic might be able to compete. He would be 18. I’ve ridden him for ten years and he has a fantastic brain to please me. But such a campaign puts a lot of strain on a horse.” sXs

The B

ig Interviewsussexsport

issue 13| 31

“I would love to go to Rio if I had a horse good, fit, sound and well enough. It

is perfectly possible Miners Frolic might be able to compete. He would be 18. ”

AnD AnOTHeR THinG

hello there, Mr. Angry here again, and uncharacteristically I’m opening with an admission of

error. hard to believe, I know, but I was wrong. In a previous sermon, I derided the forthcoming london Olympics, attacking with righteous fervour various aspects which I thought would cause disappointment, alarm, fury, disinterest and other negative responses. Well, I’m man enough to recognise that my anti-Olympic diatribe was badly aimed. Generally speaking I was won over. It was a thoroughly successful fortnight, it engaged the nation, it looked superb, the facilities appeared to be magnificent, the

competitors were gracious in their praise for the organisation and accommodation. Team GB performed superbly well. Even the weather was good. Britain and london in particularly looked stunning. hopefully, this will be reflected in the hard cash spent by the hordes of tourists drawn into the country by its alluring beauty. The BBC’s television coverage was outstanding, if a tad jingoistic at times, but I accept that was understandable. however, I felt that maybe quizzing some gasping, tearful runner as to how their medal hopes had just that second evaporated into thin air while the out-of-focus culmination of the pole vault continued in the background to be a little unnecessary. Also, while certainly not

meaning to denigrate Charlotte Dujardin’s splendid Dressage gold, some Olympic disciplines are certainly more suited to the circus. Synchronised diving, dancing horses...we’re only missing the Capuchin monkey dressed as a bellboy.There were, of course, some more important things which made my ever-primed blood boil. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the fact our national Olympic team was branded ‘Team GB’. I’ve noticed that it sparked off a trend for prefixing any conglomeration with the word ‘team’. Will our national football teams be hitherto named Team England, Team Scotland, Team Wales, and Team

Northern Ireland? Sadly, this unwieldy habit seems to have derived from ‘Team America, World Police’, a 2004 comedy movie from the people who created ‘South Park’ (Team South Park perhaps?), which featured a cast of marionettes. I still think that the logo was dreadful, and as for the dedicated traffic lanes...well, can anyone, bar the nitwits who instigated them, honestly say that was an acceptable idea? But one of my major Olympic bugbears has to be ‘Extra Syllable Syndrome’ from commentators. I never saw this one coming, but it was there every day of the competition. In time-honoured football tradition Wembley Stadium has officially become Wemb-

er-ley. To be honest, I expected that one, but we have also been blessed with Ath-er-letes, Wress-er-ling, Cyc-er-ling and Triath-er-lon. I’m not having a go at regional accents here, it’s simply the arrant mispronounciation of words with certain consecutive consonants. In the past people used to abbreviate words by shortening them, but this current fashion sees us abbreviating words by making them longer. Apparently we can no longer abbreviate efficiently. let’s be fair, I’m no fan of abbreviation, but if it’s got to be done, at least do it properly.But like I said at the start of this article, the 2012 Olympics were a triumph for

Great Britain. A sp-er-lendid result for all involved. Cong-ger-ratulations.

yours Mr. Ang-ger-y

MR ANGRY GETS HOT UNDER THE COLLAR AND SHOOTS FROM THE LIP

whiLe CerTAinLy noT MeAninG To DeniGrATe ChArLoTTe DujArDin’S SPLenDiD DreSSAGe GoLD, SoMe oLyMPiC DiSCiPLineS Are CerTAinLy More SuiTeD To The CirCuS.

sussexsport Comm

ent

issue 13 | 33

AnD AnOTHeR THinG

Footballsussexsport

issue 13 | 35

Racing

OUR COLUMNIST KEVIN ROGERS ADVISES RACEGOERS TO USE TRACKS OR LOSE THEM

To lose one race course may be regarded as a misfortune, to lose two looks like carelessness. I

refer of course to the recent demise of hereford and Folkestone. I have been to Folkestone and it was a track that I have no strong feelings about either way. I remember it took a long time to get there and it was foggy, these are probably not the things that dreams are made of, but for many men of Kent it probably stood like a bejewelled sceptre in the shimmering sea. But hereford - ah there’s the rub - I’ve never been to hereford and now I never will. I guess it’s always later than you think. A few years back me and a mate agreed to go to see Gene Pitney at

Chichester, we met in a pub after work, can you see the flaw in the plan yet? We decided that we would catch Gene some other time, but there was no more time at Gene’s disposal. Chichester is now the Town Without Pity to me. My brilliant scheme to contact musician Don van vliet with my idea that I will turn his album ‘Trout Mask Replica’ into a West End musical with Michael Crawford as zoot horn Rollo and David Essex doing a cameo as Frank zappa, has gone to the grave with the great man himself. A simple financial equation applies here, if Captain Beefheart is a million

times better than Queen, Trout Mask the Musical will make a million times more money than ‘We Will Rock you’. I will then reopen hereford to much applause. My wife points out that the flaw here is that people like Queen. The laboured point is use your local courses or lose them.The loss of hereford and Folkestone highlights the ‘Sophies Choice’ facing British racing, too much racing chasing too little prize money. Racing in this country is primarily funded by the levy paid by bookmakers, which they agree with the BhB (the amount is being negotiated as I write). The problem is bookies do not like giving money away and betting on horse racing in

traditional bookies is declining because of internet exchanges like Betfair. If the CIA can’t stop Wikileaks founder Julian Assange what chance the BhB taming cyber space?Other factions, like bookmakers moving their operation to overseas tax havens and the greater percentage of turnover coming from other sports betting and those infernal one-armed bandits, mean negotiations are more complicated than the Schleswig/holstein Question (a complex diplomatic poser from the 19th century involving the two European duchiesIs this the only way to fund racing?

In France, they operate a State Tote monopoly from which a percentage of betting money goes back as prize money. Prize money in France is much higher than here. David Cameron the Great Nationalizer! I can’t see it and even I would start with British Rail. he could put a 10 per cent levy on all horse bets. But would the bookies stand for it? Could they close high Street shops to racing bets and go through an internet company based in Ulan Bator. I like the idea of handing over my white fiver to a spiv in a hat and spats in a saloon bar, but it’s gonna be the bloody internet.Even if the money is sorted out, the BhB’s next task should then be the Middle East. We still have the problem

that there is too much racing in Britain. France and Ireland do not race every day, which means the prize money is greater and the races better contested. We race seven days a week and often (when evening racing is on) have five meetings on a Tuesday. Quantity aplenty. Quality zero. I was at the Brighton festival at the beginning of August. I saw my brother there who was on a beano from his local in hackney, I backed a couple of good priced winners, and the racing was of such poor quality I can’t remember a single horse, but a good time was had by all.

THe PunTeR

BeTTinG on rACinG in TrADiTionAL BookieS iS DeCLininG BeCAuSe of inTerneT exChAnGeS. if The CiA CAn’T SToP juLiAn ASSAnGe whAT ChAnCe The BhB TAMinG CyBer SPACe?

pg.6 Beach News Spring 2012

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110

pg.6 Beach News Spring 2012

An independent, professional and caring agency offering a traditional servicebased on considerable experience in RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL property

� No sale, no fee� Free market advice and

pre-sale valuations� Accompanied viewings� Members of the National

Association of Estate Agents� Ombudsman Scheme

� Extensive local knowledge

� Over 90 years combinedexperience

� 2 prominent town centre offices� Free local advertising

� Personal and friendly service

Residential Sales

21 Brunswick RoadShoreham by SeaTel: 01273 461144Email: [email protected]

www.warwickbaker.co.ukwww.rightmove.co.uk

Residential Letting and CommercialSales and Letting

10 High StreetShoreham by SeaTel: 01273 454234Email: [email protected]

Action Sports Images (Sailing and Rugby) can be viewed on www.warwickpics.co.uk

issue 13 | 37

Racing

Winners of the Sussex Sport median Auction Maiden Stakes (Top)Winners of Afinis Digital Marketing Support AITC Apprentice Handicap (Bottom)

sussexsport

a super day with help of sussexsportMIKE DONOVAN reveals our move into horse-racing sponsorship

SUSSEX Sport has ventured into horse-racing sponsorship.

We backed the third race on the Albion Raceday at Brighton which was aimed at helping Albion In The Community raise funds.

The magazine were delighted to hand over the winning prize to the connections of 8/11 favourite Super Simon following the Sussex Sport Median Auction Maiden Stakes.

The Paul D’Arcy-trained two-year-old Irish horse, which went on to run at Goodwood, was ridden home by Neil Callan over six furlongs from Man In The Arena.

Afinis, like Sussex Sport linked with Pinnacle, which publishes this magazine, also sponsored the Afinis Digital Marketing Support AITC Apprentice Handicap on the day.

Kieren Fox steered Taroum, handled by Tony Carroll, first past the post at 4-1 from 6-5 favourite Tawseef.

Seagulls stars like Craig Noone and Adam El-Abd attended as the day raised around £8,000 for Albion In The Community.

Noone and El-Ebd presented the connections of Jackie Love with their prize after Laura Pike had guided the Olivia Maylam horse to victory in the 1901 Club Handicap.

Brighton operations manager Stuart Dorn said: “We are delighted to develop our working relationship with Brighton & Hove Albion and raise further awareness and funds for Albion in the Community and the excellent work they undertake.

“We have worked with the Albion for a number of years and this year have seen an increase in our working relationship which is fantastic.

“I have also enrolled the Racecourse onto the Want to Work scheme this year to try and support the work that is undertaken. This has included hosting a meeting for the AITC business supporters on a raceday to help demonstrate the work that businesses

and AITC can achieve together.“We look forward to continuing and

developing this race meeting further next season and wish the Albion all the best for the 2012-2013 season.”

Cycling

38 | issue 13

sussexsport

English has got the work ethicFreedom Leisure report

Remember the name Kim English as you may well be seeing her at a future

Olympics. Kim, a cyclist from Hailsham who has a sought after place on the British Cycling Talent Programme, has just turned 16 and is already scooping up national titles.

How did you get into your sport?

Cycling is really popular in my family. My Dad was on the Irish

Team as a junior and he still trains and races when he gets time. My brother Felix also races. He is on the Irish Road team and rides for the Rapha Condor Sharp team here in England and around the world.I took up cycling when I was 8 years old. I joined Preston Park Youth Club in Brighton andI started racing a year later in the Sussex Track League.

What do you enjoy most about cycling?

I love the social side, I’ve made so many new friends since I took

up cycling and most of my closest friends are cyclists too. I also get to travel a lot which I love. I’ve been all over Europe but my favourite locations are Holland and Manchester.

What would you say is your biggest achievement to date?

Winning my first national title in 2010 at the National Cyclocross

Championships. I wasn’t one of the favourites and I only really entered because it was a local competition but I ended up winning!

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career and how did you overcome it?

Being in the national team. The training is really intense. I have

to train six days a week but because there aren’t any other cyclists of my level locally I have to do all my training sessions alone. I have to be really motivated and stay focused. I just tell myself that you get out what you put in and if I want the rewards I need to work hard.

What does a typical training week consist of?

I train six days a week and have a rest day on Mondays.

During the week I do shorter rides of between 45m and 2hrs. At the weekends I go for longer 4-5h rides unless I’m competing. I also do two gym sessions each week at my local leisure centre, Freedom Leisure Hailsham. I have a programme that is helping me to develop my core and upper body strength.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love to meet up with friends and shop!

Do you have to pay special attention to what you eat? What does your diet typically

consist of?

The nutritionists at British Cycling have given me a

diet to follow which is designed to keep my energy levels up and stop me snacking on junk food. I have porridge for breakfast and a mid-morning snack of fruit or a cereal bar. I try to have a high-carb lunch like a jacket potato with another mid afternoon snack. Dinner is whatever my mum is cooking though! It’s not too strict as they know I’m only 16, as I progress in the programme I’m sure it will get stricter!

Is there another athlete that you look up to? Why?

Laura Trott. She won two gold medals at the London Olympics

and she’s only 20. It makes me think that if she can do it them I can too.

Do you ever get nervous before a competition? If so,

how do you deal with it?

I do but I try not to let it get to me too much. I tell myself

there is no point worrying because whatever is going to happen will happen anyway. Panicking is a waste of important energy!

Did you have any tickets for the London Olympics – did you get to watch any of the

cycling?

I didn’t because I was in Holland training but I watch almost all of

it on the TV – especially the cycling. I shouted at the TV a lot when the cycling events were on, cheering on team GB!

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Cyclingsussexsport

issue 13 | 39

“Laura Trott - she won two gold medals at the

London Olympics and she’s only 20. It makes me

think that if she can do it then I can too.”

sXs

Do you think the Olympics (and success of the cycling

team) has/ will make cycling more popular?

Definitely. I race with girls who were inspired to take up cycling

after the Beijing Olympics so I’m sure the London Olympics will have the same effect, if not even greater.

What advice would you give someone keen to take up

cycling?

The most important thing is to get a bike that fits you or you’ll

find cycling really uncomfortable. Start slowly and gradually build up the miles. Find friends and family to cycle with and just enjoy it, if you find you have a talent for it you can join a club and get some coaching.

Kim English is has a place on the Freedom Leisure Talented Athlete Support Scheme, supporting emerging sporting talent in Sussex, for more information visit www.freedom-leisure.co.uk

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Golf

sussexsport

40 | issue 13

no ‘kiss-me-quick’ hats to be seenMark Pennell unearths some Catalonian golfing gems.

Ask any seasoned traveller of a certain age what springs to mind when thinking of

Spain’s Costa Brava and I’ll bet, pound to a euro, that one of the following will receive an airing; Lloret de Mar, package holidays, fluffy toy donkeys for the niece, ‘kiss me quick hats’ or sombreros!

The stark reality is that the Costa Brava region is still trying to live down its spicy reputation that dates back to the late 1950s and the dawn of cheap package deals that led to an influx of British holidaymakers and the myriad high-rise coastal hotels that emerged from this rocky coastline.

To this day, Blanes, Lloret de Mar and Toss de Mar still ply their trades as cheap and cheerful destinations; three neighbouring Mediterranean towns

that compete for the dubious renown as Spain’s answer to Blackpool - only with ‘added sunshine’.

Yet travel further north and only slightly off the beaten track and you will find a very different Costa Brava. A beautiful and historic region with a population that is rightly and fiercely proud of its artists, the quality of its gastronomy and its amazing golf courses.

Catalunya is the northernmost coastal region of Costa Brava, where the beaches stretch 40 miles from Barcelona to the borders of France. Literally translated from Spanish, Costa Brava means the rugged or wild coast, but head north of Lloret and Toss de Mar and you will soon discover it

can also be ruggedly beautiful and incredibly tranquil.

For golfers who have grown accustomed to, and tired of, packed courses and hectic tee times in destinations like Portugal and Majorca, the Costa Brava also offers a range of varied courses that, in the main, remain blissfully empty, yet also of the highest quality. So make sure to bring your ‘A game’ as none of these Catalonian courses are a push over.

Our media trip, in the late spring, started with a one hour 40 minute flight from Gatwick to Barcelona, followed by a 60-minute transfer to play the PGA Golf Catalunya course at Caldes de Malavella, near Girona. Alternatively, you can fly from London Stansted directly to Girona, leaving only a 10-minute transfer.

The Stadium Course, designed by Ryder Cup veteran Neil Coles and Spain’s Angel Gallardo, has twice hosted the Spanish Open (2002 and 2009) since it was first opened in 1999. It is now ranked as Spain’s #1 course, #3 in continental Europe by Golf Monthly UK and is placed 12th within Golf World Magazine’s Top 100 courses in the world list for 2012.

Conceived as the possible venue for the 1997 Ryder Cup, early issues with planning coupled with construction delays ultimately denied PGA Catalunya the chance of competing against Valderrama, in Andalucía, for the tournament hosting rites.

However, the course has blossomed and matured since and is now home,

for three years at least, to the gruelling ‘Q School’ – The 108-hole final stages of Europe Tour Qualification where professionals go to earn their spurs to play on tour.

A par 72 measuring up at 6,226 yards off the yellow tees, the Stadium Course features two huge lakes between the 3rd and 5th holes then the 11th and 13th that only add to the rolling beauty of this visually stunning course.

Punishing rough lines each of the five tee boxes on every hole, let alone all 18 fairways, leaving you in fear and trepidation virtually every time you pick out the driver from your bag, especially on days when stronger winds whip down from the nearby Pyrenees.

The sharply sloping and rapid

greens here were designed on the small side and should you find yourself positioned on the wrong of the pin, you will almost certainly be left facing a curving, and slippery downhill putt to test both nerve and putting stroke.

There is a second 18 holes here, the Tour Course. You can also stay at the PGA Catalunya’s own bespoke hotel or even rent one of the villas lining the fairway.

In high season (March - May and September – October) you can turn up and play 18 holes at the Stadium Course for 130 euros. The Tour course is 25 euros cheaper and a buggy will set you back 44 euros. (For all tariffs and further information visit: [email protected]).

The STArk reALiTy iS ThAT The CoSTA BrAvA reGion iS STiLL TryinG To Live Down iTS SPiCy rePuTATion ThAT DATeS BACk To The LATe 1950S AnD The DAwn of CheAP PACkAGe DeALS.

Golfsussexsport

issue 13 | 41

Within scouting distance, there are other courses well worth a visit during your stay in Catalunya.

One of the loveliest and most surprising is Golf Girona, only a ten-minute drive from the main shopping centre and barely quarter-of-an-hour from the airport, this another visually stunning course.

Opened in 1992, Golf Girona is a golfing haven of peace and tranquillity. Designed by Frederic Hawtree, it is the only course in Spain laid down with pencross seed, giving the turf and greens a very ‘English feel’.

With a hill-top clubhouse that boasts overnight accommodation and a wonderful panoramic restaurant, Golf Girona is well worth a visit (for all tariffs and further information visit: golfgirona.com).

Of the nine other courses within a 40-minute drive of Girona we visited

Golf Platja de Pals, the region’s oldest course, and the modern and superbly appointed Torre Mirona Golf & Spa resort.

Golf Platja de Pals is another pine-lined test. Situated near, but out of sight of the sea, it is both enjoyable and testing. For all tariffs and further information visit: golfplayjadepals.com).

Our final round was at the inviting parkland setting of Torre Mirona north of Girona at Navatna. Though only a stone throw off the main N-11 highway from Barcelona to Perpignan, it too has an ‘off the beaten track’ feel to it.

With its superb spa facilities, top-class restaurant and balcony with views to die for, this could be the ideal base for a corporate trip, golf society visit or even a family holiday.

This course too has its version of the Sawgrass 17th. At 170 metres off the yellow tees and into a prevailing wind,

you’ll be delighted to walk off this island green with a par. For all tariffs and further information visit: [email protected]

Based here, you can visit nearby activity centres or visit the quaint par three pitch & putt at Gualta.

Only 10 minutes from Torre Mirona, the historic local town of Figueres is also well worth a visit.

And of Figueres I can promise one thing, there isn’t a ‘kiss me quick hat’ or ‘mock Cockney pub’ to be found anywhere. What bliss.

Mark Pennell travelled to Cost Brava courtesy of the regional tourist board, EasyJet and Landmark

Media. He stayed at Hotel Carlemany in Girona, Hotel Torre Mirona, and Melia Golf Vichy Catalan, at the PGA Catalunya golf resort.

“The stadium Course, designed by Ryder Cup veteran

neil Coles and spain’s angel Gallardo, has

twice hosted the spanish Open.”

sXs

sussexsport

Health

sussexsport

issue 13 | 43

Get your beach body ready nOW!You’ve chosen a destination,

booked your accommodation, crossed fingers for hot weather,

and then it hits you…it’s time to reveal your beach body again!How does losing a stone sound right now? Well, burning 2lbs of fat each week is very realistic so just 4-8weeks will produce dramatic results. Interested? Here’s how!

Adam’s Top 10 Tips for a Pre-Holiday Shape-Up!

1. Exercise 6 days a week, 1-day rest. Those calories have to be burned and muscles worked into shape. If you don’t exercise much at the moment start gentle!

2. Cardiovascular exercise, like jogging, mainly uses big lower body muscles; meaning lots of calories burned. Aim for 30mins+ of cardio daily.

3. Try alternating moderate intensity cardio days, getting you warm and slightly breathless (walking, gentle cycling, slow swimming) that burn calories slower allowing longer workouts, with more intense days that gets you sweaty and your heart rate racing. Running, hill cycling or fast swimming burns calories faster but tires you sooner, causing more soreness the next day.

4. Vary the type of cardio exercise you do each day to save overworking the same muscles and joints. Try dancing, rowing, kayaking, skipping, or skating.

5. Sculpt firmer muscles by adding 30min resistance-based workouts 3 days a week leaving a days rest between. You could try the gym, Pilates, or a fast-paced circuit-training workout at home.

6. Boost results by increasing your everyday activity. Include all those tips you’ve heard before. Take the stairs instead of lift, walk instead of driving, get off the bus a stop early, stand instead of sitting, and walk while on the phone.

7. Consume fewer calories. The average man requires 2500kcals and 2000kcals for women, but if your weight is too high you can be sure that too many high-calorie treats are finding their way into your diet or your meals are too big.

8. Instead of starving yourself, focus on cleaning your diet. Until your holiday, no fried food, cakes, sweets, pies, pastry, processed foods or alcohol. Instead, consume more lean sources of protein, high fibre carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables.

9. Stay hydrated. Hot summer weather and sweaty exercise causes you to lose more water than usual, so replace it to maintain your energy and focus.

10. Don’t quit! Use this as a chance to achieving something dramatic; relax on holiday knowing you really deserve it!

Got a question? If you have a question about this article, or have a fitness problem you’d like Adam to cover in a future issue, email [email protected]

Brief Bio: Adam Lewis is a freelance mobile personal trainer around Brighton and Sussex, specialising in workouts within clients’ homes. With over 15 years’ experience in the fitness industry Adam is a certified Personal Trainer, with a degree in Sport & Exercise Science and a Masters in Sports Nutrition. www.YourFitnessCoach.co.uk

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Motorsport Explosive!

MARTIN READ talks to a motor racer about a great escape

sussexsport

Seeing John Mickel at ease, with his dog at the Frog & Nightgown, his Faygate local, is

deceptive. The relaxed and avuncular persona conceals a highly competitive world champion.

Motor racing tracks are John’s habitat and have been for over 30 years.

Encouraged by his hotrod driving father, Nobby, he started racing in oval track Ministox at the age of ten, quickly progressing through Superstox and banger meetings in Scotland to Pickup trucks and the legends cars hespecialises in today.

American -made, legends cars are based on 1934 Ford sedans, Bonnie and Clyde style. They pack a punch and despite the camaraderie of the racing fraternity there is much friendly rivalry. Shunts, or worse, can happen although thanks to his skill and expertise John says: “Over the years I’ve had just three broken bones and been knocked out once, but have always managed to walk away.”

But, last year a spectacular incident at the Lydden track near Dover was too exciting for comfort. Hit from behind in a seemingly routine prang, the aggressor kept pushing and John’s car couldn’t break free. Suddenly his fuel tank ruptured, immediately resulting in an explosive fire. Legends cars are a tight fit and attempting to exit in an emergency could be fatal for a novice, but John’s experience saw him through: “I was lucky not to have been wedged up against a tyre wall and knew how to get straight out – my helmet and overalls saved me”. All in a day’s work, perhaps. Miraculously John only suffered minor burns and was back racing next day. Incredibly his Chief Engineer, brother Alan, had the car in action again within a few days.

Winning his first championship at the age of twelve, John soon won a world tournament and then the innagural European trophy. With 21 championships in 23 years and 4 world titles, John’s special room dedicated to

his awards has long since become too small.

Running marathons and a busy, active lifestyle are an effective fitness regime. John’s workshop is a hive of activity repairing, adapting and maintaining his four racing cars. Racing around the UK and across the world is no small undertaking, running a team of up to 30 on race days – including the other two drivers, together with mechanics and corporate catering staff. A motor home keeps the family together and a two seater car gives clients a genuine flavour of track racing, as does the paddock simulator.

John says: “I don’t really have a favourite track. They’ve all got different configurations and then there’s the weather to contend with. There’s always more to learn and concentration is the name of the game. Silverstone, Donington, Mallory Park and Pembrey in South Wales and, particularly racing in front of a 15,000 crowd at Brands Hatch still give me a thrill.” The European tour, including Ireland, Belgium, Germany and Holland have all been enjoyed too, adding up to around 50 races a year.

South Africa also holds a special place in John’s heart because no other English man has gone there and won a NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) competition: “That was tough. Three hours in the car, 330 laps in a 50- mile race. That gave me real credence in the racing world.” Little wonder that the winning trophy has pride of place in the family sitting room. It is not difficult to see why Sky Sports have been keen to employ John as an analyst on their NASCAR coverage.

Lisa, John’s wife, a former Great Britain swimming champion and driver shares his competitive spirit. They met at a legends meeting and now Lisa runs the corporate and sponsorship side of the enterprise, a real challenge in today’s financial climate. John feels that their two charming daughters might one day progress into the

demanding administration element of the business. Doodles, the handsome golden doodle dog, a retriever and poodle cross, completes the family group.

With drivers continuing to race well into their fifties there is no question of John hanging up his helmet. But, with so much already achieved what else beckons? John relishes driving at iconic American tracks like Daytona: “NASCAR racing in the States has a massive following and the adrenaline really flows when there are 80,000 spectators in the stands and millions more following on TV. Doing a full season there, about 26 races, would be great. British saloon touring car racing at Brands also greatly appeals.”

Is driving on British roads a bit tame? “I enjoy my Audi but racing is for the track and I get plenty of opportunity to do that.” Yet, John Mickel has always been competitive, on the rugby field as well as at the races. With considerable understatement John says “I just want to succeed.” Nobody can question that. sXs

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“I was lucky not to have been wedged up against a tyre wall and knew how to get straight out – my helmet and overalls saved me ”

schools The Beautiful south triumphBoys and girls on glory trail at Sussex School Games. CRAIG PETERS reports.

The southern band of schools representing the area at the Sussex School Games did

their region proud as they secured first place.

The “Sussex’s mini-Olympic and Paralympic Games”, which hosted over 1,300 school children was held at the K2 Crawley, Thomas Bennett Community College and Broadfield Football Stadium.

The Southern area, which featured schools such as Angmering School and Chatsmore Catholic High School, secured first place in six of the 17 sports and amassed a total of 129 points.

Other highlights included Dorothy Stringer’s Year 8 girls’ and boys’ basketball teams who both won their respective trophies to dominate the courts. The appearance of Olympic gold medal swimmer Duncan Goodhew inspired the competitors; Children’s Minister Tim Loughton MP underlined his commitment to creating an Olympic legacy.

Also in attendance were two Sussex medal winners from the National School Games finals which took place in May at Olympic venues in East London: Brighton’s Olly Moors, 15, gold medal winner in the team sprint cycling, and Angmering’s Peter Vincent, 17, who took silver in the judo competition.

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show Respec -TPromoting fairness, equality and dignity through art. JAMES WARD reports

John Terry may have been cleared of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand, but the whole sorry

saga and ensuing court case still dealt a severe blow to the game’s image.

PFA chairman Gordon Taylor went on record saying that the reputation of our domestic game had been severely tarnished. But Albion in the Community’s latest scheme made sure it wasn’t all bad news.

Recently, over 100 people attended AITC’s unveiling of the Respec-T campaign at Brighton & Hove Albion’s American Express Community Stadium.

Influenced by Brighton’s Charter For Action on Homophobia, Respec-T used the power of football to actively promote fairness, equality and dignity through art.

Respec-T, sponsored by Mailserve and Solutions-Inc, involved 1,500 children across Sussex taking part in 90-minute workshops. During these workshops, children discussed what respect represented and watched videos of current Albion players discuss what respect meant to them, before designing their own individual logos.

Each participating school selected one winning logo, with the entire collection of winning designs presented on a giant– nine metres by six – Albion shirt.

AITC’S creative arts co-ordinator Robyn Steer, who organised the Respec-T initiative, said: “All the different logos look fantastic and so different. I went to 30 schools and asked them the same question, watched the same videos, and it’s amazing that all of them came up with completely different logos. It just shows how creative young people can be. Respect in itself is such a difficult concept; it’s hard to sum it up. But the children all rose to the challenge and came up with some brilliant stuff. It’s very important to educate them on what they see at football stadiums isn’t how you should behave so I think it’s good to identify what respect actually means to a club.”

On the night, Steer also revealed that the giant shirt will be paraded in front of a packed crowd at the Amex when Brighton play Birmingham City on Saturday 29th September.

She said: “I think that will be such a good memory for the children. All the winners are given one free ticket and they are going to walk the T-shirt around the pitch before the game.”

Honourary Life President and AITC chairman Dick Knight addressed the crowd and later praised the children on what they had produced.

He said: “Congratulations to all the children who took part and in particular to Robyn Steer who curated the whole project. There has been a lot of coverage in the media on alledged comments on the football field involving some of our top players, so it’s vital that every football club sets the right example in terms of the way people respect each other. This is why we set up the community scheme, so that we can use the power of football in a positive way.”

He continued: “It’s engaging kids that might otherwise be not interested in the education system; when you relate it to football, they then get interested. I’m proud because this is the most socially focused of football club community schemes.”

The children were rewarded for their fantastic efforts with a goody bag and a T-shirt, which incorporated all of the winning designs.

Euan Brooks, 11, whose design was selected for the hugeshirt, said he really enjoyed making his logo: “It did take a bit of time for me to think what to draw but I’m happy with it. My friends think it’s really cool that I get to parade the pitch.”

Euan’s dad Peter said: “It’s vital to teach children about respect these days because there’s so much peer pressure. It’s important that they respect one another as the children all have different backgrounds and to actually appreciate everyone is great because on the inside, we are exactly the same.”

John Parvin, co-founder of the event’s

sponsors Solution-Inc, said: “I first heard about Respec-T at a AITC event and I immediately thought this was a great idea. I think the designs are really good actually and there are some great ones. People have really thought this through. We are involved with AITC education in particular and I’m sure we’ll have a lasting relationship; the team there are fantastic.”

Respec-T will also be marketed to other clubs to help them rebrand and recreate their own campaign.

Maybe if other clubs integrated Respec-T then English football can start restoring some pride and respect for the game.

www.albioninthecommunity.org.uk

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“It just shows how creative young people can be.

It’s hard to sum it up. But the children all rose to the

challenge and came up with some brilliant stuff.”

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ON TRACK

Bryan Steel (pictured), a former Team GB track cyclist and one of the key figures in the development of its world-beating track squad, shared his knowledge – and his two Olympic medals – at a workshop for sporting volunteers in Hove.

Steel, who won bronze alongside Bradley Wiggins in the cycling team pursuit at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and helped the team to silver at the Athens Games in 2004, was presenting a Sport Makers workshop for Active Sussex at Freedom Leisure’s King Alfred’s sports centre.

The workshop, which was free to attend, is part of an official 2012 Olympic legacy programme to inspire more people to get involved in sport across the country.

Sussex Sport Makers will be running more workshops in the near future. To register, go to www.sportmakers.co.uk and choose ‘Sussex’.

UNI SAILS ON

The University of Chichester – an Active Sussex gold-tier partner- has joined the nation in its celebrations of Team GB’s achievements at the Olympics with sailor Saskia Clark, a graduate, among the medal winners.

Clark graduated in 2003 with an undergraduate degree in Sports and Exercise Science, and retains a close link with the University as she and all RYA sailors regularly visit the West Sussex institution as part of their training programme.

She took silver with her sailing partner Hannah Mills in the Women’s 470 (see London Calling).

Including London 2012, every medal winner in sailing for the past five Olympic Games has undertaken part

of their training at the University of Chichester through work funded by the RYA.

The squad comes to the University for regular fitness assessments and general sports science input, and the institution is naturally delighted to have contributed to the success of the team this year.

It hopes to continue its track record at the Rio Olympics in 2016. As an official supplier, it provides physiology services to the pathway squads, the future Olympic champions, through a PhD student based at the RYA Performance Centre in Dorset.

The University’s attention at the Olympics was on another water-based sport during the Games, as senior lecturer Dr Tim Holder is the sports psychologist for the synchronised swimming team, who met expectations. The duet pairing and team finished ninth and sixth respectively, within their agreed target range.

ROYAL APPROVAL

The Earl and Countess of Wessex paid a visit to the University of Brighton Sports Centre, where Active Sussex is based, on a tour of sports facilities in the area earlier this month.

The royal couple, representing Her Majesty the Queen as part of the Diamond Jubilee tour, stopped briefly to ask staff members from Active Sussex and Sport Brighton about their work before watching a Powerchair football competition hosted by Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club’s community division.

Edward, the Queen’s youngest son, and his wife Sophie were in the area to learn more about Brighton & Hove Albion FC’s community arm, Albion in the Community. They had previously taken a tour of the neighbouring Amex Stadium and met with American Express volunteers, accompanied by Albion’s honorary president Dick Knight.

BEACH RUGBY

Sussex played host to the annual U19 Mixed Beach Rugby Tournament at West Wittering for the fourth year in succession. The event, which took place during National School Sports Week, is now a fully national one, supported by British Colleges Sport.

Beach tag rugby is one of the short forms of the game promoted by rugby’s governing body, the RFU. It’s a fun, safe and fast-paced sport that is gaining popularity amongst those who might not turn out for a traditional

scrum in the mud.All of the matches were played in a

great spirit and the students displayed a superb attitude throughout. This year, the referees were RFU Community Rugby Coaches from Sussex and Surrey, as well as RFU Rugby volunteers.

After some tightly contested matches, the final was a head to head between former champions Chichester College and Birmingham Met College, who were taking part for the first time. Thanks to two last-minute tries from Birmingham Met College, the newcomers ran out winners 6-5.

The West Wittering tournament marked the continued success of the RFU’s Choose Rugby campaign, which aims to promote the game to all-comers, with over 150 students playing rugby on the beach.

KARATE AND HOCKEY BACKED

During this momentous Olympic year, Active Sussex silver tier partner Chandlers Building Supplies is keen to involve children in sport and physical activity by sponsoring local sports groups in West Sussex.

Chandlers are proud sponsors of Kenagi Academy Karate club in Horsham, where the company’s support recently helped three Horsham teenagers pass the prestigious Kenagi Karate Black Belt grade.

The builders’ merchant has also sponsored Worthing Werewolves and Worthing Wolverines Hockey team. The first time they played in their new kits both U12 teams came away victorious. The boys won 10-1 and the girls 4-1.

For more information about Chandlers sports sponsorship, email [email protected]

PARALYMPIC PARTY

Horsham District Council were, at publication time, hosting a Paralympics party in Horsham Park to help celebrate the lead-up to London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Activities included goalball, boccia, blind football, table tennis, athletics, cricket and gymnastics.

LIGHTING UP

Angmering School wheelchair table tennis player Tyler Paul, who won bronze at the World Junior Games in 2011, took part in the official London Paralympic lighting ceremony before bringing a lantern and part of the flame to Horsham.

26 ■ SussexSport | April 2011 www.sussexsport.co.uk www.sussexsport.co.uk April 2011 | SussexSport ■ 27

First published by Active Sussex. For the latest community sports news, funding and job vacancies visit activesussex.orgFollow us on Twitter @activesussex and Facebook.com/activesussexcsp

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Hundreds sign up for new coacHing website

Nearly 200 coaches have registered with a new online coaching database, Coach Sussex. "We are very pleased with the uptake from coaches so far," said Anthony Statham, Coaching Development Manager at Active Sussex and the driving force behind the online forum."Even more encouraging has been the interest from our network of business partners. East Sussex County Council has signed up as an affiliate member, and we have had a number of other organisations express an interest in using the platform to manage their coaches."

For more information about the Coach Sussex affiliate programme, contact Anthony Statham on 01273 644149

[email protected]

active sussex opens new facebook page From 1 March the Active Sussex Facebook profile will be closed permanently, to be replaced by a new page at www.facebook.com/activesussexcsp. "We wanted to create a space where our partners can communicate directly with each other as easily and quickly as possible," said Active Sussex Communications Officer Andy Duck."The Active Sussex Facebook page is one such space – somewhere for sports enthusiasts to share specialist knowledge, photos of club success, an upcoming event, or simply something of sporting interest."

www.facebook.com/activesussexcsp

sopHia warner triumpHs at tHe ipc in new zealand

Worthing & District Harriers' Sophia Warner returned from New Zealand with a brace of medals from the IPC Athletics World Championships in Christchurch.

The Sussex Sports Awards Disabled Sports Personality of the Year claimed silver in the 200m (T35), adding to her bronze in the 100m (T35), which she won on Day 4 of the competition.

Warner recorded a personal best time of 37.04 in the 200m, smashing her previous PB by over two seconds. World Record holder Rachael Dodds (Australia) took gold in the 200m T35 in a time of 36.78. "It was an incredible experience and has put me in a strong position for 2012," Warner told Active Sussex. "I know what I have to go and do now… it's going to be a hard slog."

www.activesussex.org/2011/02/02/warner-on-course-for-2012-after-world-championship-success/

£1,000 bursaries for volunteers

The aim of the Torch Trophy Trust Bursary is to help volunteers improve their skills as coaches or officials if they are unable to do so without funding. The Bursaries provide financial support for those wishing to undertake training. A Torch Trophy Trust Bursary is awarded to enable individuals or groups to enhance their knowledge in order to assist their club, organisation or community to develop their chosen sport, by making grants of up to £1,000.

www.torchtrophytrust.org/bursaries.htm

sHowcase your sport at burgess Hill festival Burgess Hill Gets Active has opened up registration for its festival of sport and physical activity, which takes place on Sunday 26 June. The aim of the festival is to provide a showcase for sports and activity groups in the area, covering all ages from toddlers to older adults.

The festival will feature healthy living stalls including blood-pressure testing, stress and weight management and support to stop smoking. There will also be a Skate Jam competition as part of the event. Registration and participation is free for local groups. For more information and to apply to take part, contact Elizabeth Carter on 01444 477047.

[email protected]/node/2337

swimatHon foundation grantsGrants of between £300 and £2,500 are available to organisations, including swimming pools, operators, clubs, community organisations and charities who can demonstrate how funding will allow them to help more people participate in and enjoy swimming and to make swimming more accessible. Applications are accepted in one of four rounds. The closing dates are 6 June, 22 August and 7 November. Applications received after each closing date will be put forward automatically for the next round.

http://swimathon.org/page.php?page=tsf_Grants_Rules_Criteria

voucHer scHeme extended to sports clubs

Clubmark accredited clubs can now register for Sainsbury’s Active Kids voucher scheme to secure a share of £120,000-worth of new kit. Active Kids runs until 31 May. You can collect one Active Kids voucher for every £10 spent in-store, at petrol stations or when you buy groceries online (£5 in Locals). Nectar points can be turned into vouchers, too.

www.clubmark.org.uk/news/your-club-and-sainsbury-s-active-kids-2011-the-perfect-match

A keep fit challenge to encourage employees in Eastbourne and Hastings to walk, jog and cycle to work was officially launched by the Mayor of Eastbourne. Councillor Carolyn Heaps showed her support for the Active Travel Challenge by commuting on foot from the Town Hall to her home during the first week of the challenge in March. Local branches of Sainsbury’s Supermarket, the Nationwide Building Society and Plummer Parsons Chartered Accountants signed up for the three-week competition. Lisa Huggett, Parking and Healthy Transport Officer for Eastbourne District General

Hospital, one of the first organisations to register, said she had been surprised by the level of interest in the scheme.

"The occupational health department registered the most journeys of any department, even before the challenge began," she said. "Clearly they’re quite competitive amongst themselves!"

The Active Travel Challenge aims to encourage staff to walk, cycle and run over a three-week period. Participants track their own progress by logging on to the website and recording any exercise completed.

www.activetravelchallenge.com

mayor launcHes keep fit cHallenge

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