I was inspired by the London 2012 Open Weekend!

July 26 2010 - (0) Comments - posted in creating excellence This weekend I was lucky enough to celebrate two years to the London 2012 Olympics with a trip round what must be Great Britain’s largest building site... Stratford! The event had been organised as part of the London 2012 Open Weekend.

With the fresh theme of ‘challenge yourself’, over 900 events took place across the UK as part of the Cultural Olympiad. Organisations set public challenges at each of their events, creating an opportunity for everyone to set a new personal best by trying something new or taking an existing interest to the next level.

My challenge was photography (it’s up to you to decide whether or not I succeeded!). Throughout the day we were set a challenge of capturing three topics in photo: [Continue Reading]

2 Years to go…...

July 21 2010 - (0) Comments - posted in creating excellence So – Tuesday 27th July represent 2 years to go until the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

When I stood in Trafalgar Square as guest of the Bid team and heard those immortal words from Jacque Rogge, ‘and the 2012 Games is awarded to the city of….London’, I was overcome with excitement, hope and opportunity. Beyond a sense of being proud of what had been achieved, and having played just a small part in the victory, I realised the immense opportunity that this would present at both a personal and professional level.

5 years on and here we are with facilities nearing completion, sponsors activating the early stages of their 2012 programmes and cultural activities and festivals ten a penny in advance…

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Michael Stirling - FIFA World Cup and Corporate Supremacy

June 09 2010 - (0) Comments - posted in inspirational speakers
With the World Cup starting on Friday, have you ever wondered about the sheer scale of the sponsorship deals that surround what has been unoffically been called, 'The Greatest Show on Earth'? Inspirational Speakers Michael Stirling gives us insight into a few facts surrounding this aspect of the World Cup...

The FIFA flagship event, the World Cup, kicks off on 11th June in Johannesburg. The hosts South Africa will play Mexico in the first game of the world's most popular global sporting event. The World Cup is not only about the excitement of seeing who is the World Champion but also of corporate supremacy. The extravaganza that occurs once every four years and lasts one month attracts many of the world biggest brands, Adidas,…

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Sarah Storey Blog

May 20 2010 - (0) Comments - posted in inspirational speakers After my Rudy Project TT win on May 9th, I headed to the south of France to get a final week of miles in prior to the specific preparation I am doing this week for the National 10 mile Time Trial on Sunday 23rd May.

I joined up with Stef and Helen Wyman who were already in the town of Limoux and spent some of my time training with Helen and getting some advice on improving my descending skills.
When I arrived the Aude region was preparing for the arrival of 18 women’s pro teams for the biggest women’s stage race on the calender, the Tour de L’Aude and for me, having aspirations to ride the race one day, it was fantastic to ride on the roads used over the past 26 years of the race history. With the race known for it’s…

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What do you think about Wenlock and Mandeville?

May 20 2010 - (0) Comments - posted in creating excellence
Were you watching the One Show last night when the mascots for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were revealed? What was your first reaction?

This was one of the first things that we discussed when we got into the Creating Excellence office this morning and although there was a mixed bag of opinion, the general consensus was positive. They are quite funky and modern, very different to any blue slugs and cuddly bears that have come before them and hopefully they will engage with the younger generation; there is something very alien and futuristic about Wenlock and Mandeville which will appeal to the technological wizards that are the youth of this country.

The names have also been carefully and considerately…

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Escape from Alcatraz, Good Luck Matt Harris!

April 28 2010 - (0) Comments - posted in creating excellence Just a quick word to say that Pixelwork Director - designer of the Creating Excellence website - is taking on a massive personal challenge to raise money for the Callum Branch Trust. Matt harris is preparing to take part in the 30th Anniversary Triathlon, Escape From Alcatraz.

The race is held annually in San Francisco and takes place for it's 30th year this Sunday, May 2. The race includes a 1.5 mile swim through frigid waters from Alcatraz Island to shore, a grueling 18-mile bike race, and a demanding 8-mile run through the rugged trails of Golden Gate Recreation Area.…

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Day Out in Dottignies!

April 12 2010 - (0) Comments - posted in inspirational speakers


After my first win for my new team Horizon Fitness, in the 1st round of the Rudy Project, I headed out to our Belgium team house to prepare for the GP Dottignies. Our Director Sportif, Stefan, had arranged for me to ride on a guest place with a Danish team called Team OCK. It was to be a small team of 4 riders for the race, but they were a fantastic group to work with and we had fun with our preparations.

I headed over to Dottignies to join up with the team and do what proved to be an all important recce of the race course. The route, for both the starting loop of 50km and the 7 laps of the 10km finishing circuit, took us through some narrow lanes and also along some very poor road surface. I began to panic…

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What would you do with your 25th hour?

March 30 2010 - (0) Comments - posted in creating excellence
The Press Association this morning sent out a press release that really caught the attention of and inspired the team at Creating Excellence, it was about 'The 25th Hour'.

The 25th hour is a new campaign that has been set up to encourage people to give back to their communities through volunteering, the name suggests that we could all find that little bit of time in our busty lives to help others, in other words, our 25th hour.

What is even more appealing about this campaign - beside the obvious feel good benefits of helping others - is that the Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell has said that as a thank you to volunteers on the scheme, many will get an exclusive look at the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony,…

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England Hockey Men’s through to the World Cup Semi-Finals!

March 09 2010 - (0) Comments - posted in creating excellence After England won the first 4 games in the group stages, they had done enough to qualify for the Hockey World Cup Semi-Finals in Delhi, India. They lost their final game to Spain 2-0 however the fact they knew they qualified could have had an impact on the result. So how many of you knew about this? And how many of you England won the European Championships in 2009?

If it was England in the football I don't think there would be a moment where media would not be talking about what a great achievement it is and can they go on to win?

So can the England Hockey team go on to win? Well they face Germany in their first Semi Final since 1986 which is a momentous achievement and after beating them 5-3 in the European Championship…

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Celebrating Success with the Prince

March 02 2010 - (1) Comments - posted in role models

Yesterday I had the privilege to be invited to the Prince’s Trust Celebrate Success Awards. For me this year, there was something a little more special than seeing the young people receive their awards. This year, one young person who was supported not only by the Prince’s Trust, but also by Sport England’s Respect Athlete Mentoring Programme. Karen Mclaughlin has had a troubled life, finding herself at a very young age involved in serious drugs. After a serious health concern, having been asked to leave home at the age of 16, Karen turned to the Prince’s Trust for help. It was through the Prince’s Trust that Karen had the fortune to meet her RAMP Mentor Nick Gillingham. They have worked together now for the last 18 months…

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