Jaguar Academy of Sport and tomorrow's sports heroes

By Phil McNamara

Motoring Issues

20 April 2010 12:26

The icons backing Jaguar’s Academy of Sport have triumphed at the highest level. Their collective achievements include 54 Olympic and world championship medals, 10 F1 podiums and a Le Mans win, England’s most successful cricket captain and our most prolific wicket taker, plus the rugby player voted the greatest of all time. And Champions League-wining footballers David Beckham and Steven Gerrard, along with Olympic cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, couldn’t make it. Welcome to the launch of the Academy of Sport, in the Jaguar boutique at London’s Berkeley hotel.

Jaguar has established the Academy of Sport to help the next generation of British stars emulate Dame Kelly Holmes, Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Ian Botham, Gareth Edwards and Michael Vaughan, England’s most successful cricket captain. Jaguar is creating a trust fund to support promising sportsmen and women, aged 14 to 17. Some 20-30 athletes will receive grants in the first year, to help fund their development. The first grants will be announced in the next few weeks.

Danvers and Ennis: today’s athletics stars

Gathered around Jaguar’s new XJ limousine, there’s much buzz about the Olympics taking place in this city in just two years. Heptathlete Jessica Ennis and 400m hurdler Natasha Danvers are two of the Brits who will hopefully shine in 2012.  

‘The Olympics is the pinnacle of an athlete’s career, but the Olympics in your own country, in my home city – it doesn’t get any better than that,’ says 33-year-old Danvers.

Jessica Ennis, who recently won gold at the World Championships, talks of the funding battle for young people. ‘Until you get known, you don’t get that much support. It’s not that Britain hasn’t got talented young athletes, we just need to identify them and support them. Spikes are £90 a pair, and you might need seven pairs. That’s a lot of money for a young athlete.’

Countdown to 2012

The London games might be two years away, but the clock is ticking for every athlete. ‘I’m working on the technical aspects of the long jump: my jump strength and speed and trying to improve my body,’ says heptahlete Ennis. ‘If you’re going to make any changes, you have to do them now.’

Olympic legends: Sir Steve Redgrave and Dame Kelly Holmes

The Academy of Sport patrons – including Sir Steve Redgrave and Dame Kelly Holmes – will sift through the nominees and decide which candidates get funding.   

‘The people are out there, we have to find them and get them into our sports and make them into world beaters,’ says Sir Steve, the only Briton to have won five gold medals at consecutive Olympic games.
 
‘[In the Olympics, Britain] has a history of underperforming at the highest level. But now we are getting the preparation right, and getting the funding to take them to the same level as other countries. We got 19 gold medals in Beijing; I think we will top that in 2012. But once that’s over and the decade of sport drifts away, we have to make sure the people it inspired achieve in years to come. The Academy of Sport is one way to ensure that happens,’ says the rower.

Dame Kelly Holmes came back from injury to win gold in both the 800m and 1500m at Athens in 2004. ‘We have to believe 2012 is going to be the best games ever, and it’s what we do off the back of it that’s important. Jaguar Academy of Sport is a fantastic piece in the puzzle.

‘It’s a focal point for young people aspiring to be the best they can. There’s a lot of investment in sport right now, but not enough is filtering down to the grass roots level. I’m pleased to be a patron and I hope to get to talk to young people and give them some inspiration. Two years before the 2012 games, Jaguar is standing up to back this country’s future talent,’ says Dame Kelly.

>> Click 'Next' to read more of CAR's report on the Jaguar Academy of Sport

By Phil McNamara