Games Makers are the incredible volunteers that will help to facilitate the nation’s biggest annual sports day this summer.
Led by Team GB – the national fitness event will take place on the 24th August and will feature a wide range of free and fun activities to get people of all ages and abilities active.
But it wouldn’t happen without the help of the Games Makers – dedicated fitness enthusiasts who will be sacrificing their time to make the day as brilliant and inclusive as possible.
We spoke to some of these inspirational volunteers to find out why they’re so passionate about making their communities more active.
Andreas Michealas is a former Team GB weightlifter from Crumpsall, Manchester, and is passionate about bringing sport to his local community.
What is it that you love about sport?
I love the community sport can build around itself. Bringing communities that wouldn’t normally interact with each other together with a common interest.
I got into an old strong man sport of Strand-Pulling, the old chest expanders when I was three years old with my Dad.
He worked in the Greater Manchester Police so I didn’t get to see him much other then in the gym. So I started harassing him in the gym, according to him, and I haven’t stopped since.
These events are a brilliant way for community volunteer based sports clubs to get some support from the larger entities like Team GB. This helps them get publicity to the wider public of which they would have not received otherwise.
Personally I think it enriches the community, it gives people a place to come along and socialise while having a bit of fun doing the sports they love.
Tell us about your achievements in Team GB
When I was a competitive weightlifter I competed for GB from 2000, until 2010 when I retired.
I represented GB at five European Championships in Norway, Bulgaria, France and Germany. I medaled at the European Promotion Cup in Italy, winning a silver in my weight class and we got a team bronze in 2005.
I was on the Beijing Olympics pathway with the Team GB Passport scheme at the time and was the weightlifter for the Official Video Game. Unfortunately due to nerve damage from an injury I was unable to go to the actual games.
During my competitive time I had more 30 British records for various weight classes and age groups, until my younger brother came along and broke all but one which stood for 10 years.
I now work in the sports development world, having worked with British Weightlifting as their North Development Manager and now work with British Wrestling to help develop the sport.
Why do you think more people need to be active?
People need to be more active as sedentary lifestyle are starting to have a negative effect on health.
As we’re all working desk-based jobs it’s hard to keep our bodies moving the way they should.
To help alleviate those problems doing a bit of sport to help loosen your back off from a day in the office is always good.
It is very important to get young people into sport too. We run a NHS Healthy Schools Project from Barton AC with help from four National Governing Bodies of Sport and having done observations of children’s movement patterns.
Today’s children cannot move how children from 20 years ago could move. Due to this, children are complaining of pain that a 30 or 40-year-old would complain about, like lower back pain.
So it is very important to get children active to make sure they do not fall into bad habits from a young age that would be really difficult to get out of at a later age.
I Am Team GB is a brilliant example of a way to use the inspiration that the GB Olympic teams have given the public to inspire people to join a sport or club, and of course it is free!
I am Team GB
Toyota has teamed up with Team GB to re-launch the hugely successful participation campaign ‘I am Team GB’.
Inspired by the achievements of Team GB athletes and the amazing efforts of local community heroes, Team GB has created ‘The Nation’s Biggest Sports Day’, which will take place on the 24thAugust.
Over the weekend, there will be hundreds of free and fun activities across the country, put on by an army of volunteers; the ‘I am Team GB Games Makers’.
To Join the Team and be part of The Nation’s Biggest Sports Day sign up at: www.IAmTeamGB.com
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