Along with all the other six Home Nations, Wales has shown its excitement for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games by throwing support behind the Sport Your Trainers campaign for 2014.
Focussed on encouraging youngsters to step up and sport their trainers for Commonwealth Day, the campaign builds on the growing excitement among young people for Glasgow 2014 whilst also encouraging them to get involved in physical activity.
A giant inflatable Glasgow 2014 trainer has been photographed at a host of iconic locations in Wales Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, with further imagery provided by Guernsey and Jersey. The Wales Millennium Centre provided the back drop in Wales.
Chris Jenkins, Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales, said;
"The Sport Your Trainer’s campaign provides another opportunity for us in Wales to engage with our young people, build the excitement for the Commonwealth Games and encourage support for Team Wales."
"It’s a sporting event that is held in such high esteem in here, especially with it being the only major Games that we get to support many of our athletes in purely a Welsh capacity, and Commonwealth Day is another marker and reminder that the Games are fast-approaching."
"The excitement is really beginning to build now. There are fantastic plans in place to welcome the Queen’s Baton Relay in May, and many major preparations are being finalised. With more and more athletes set to be selected and announced over the coming months, and the 100 days to go milestone approaching the excitement is just going to continue to build."
And in a bid to get as many Welsh youngsters into the spirit of the Commonwealth Games, Wales has gone one step further in celebrating Sport Your Trainers 2014 by running a competition for schools to win inspirational visits from Team Wales athletes.
Teaming up with Sport Wales’ Young Ambassador programme, five schools across Wales will receive visits from athletes working hard to gain selection for Glasgow 2014 on Monday 10th March, where they will take part in a variety of activities from mini relay’s to question and answer sessions and the Sport Relief mile.
Sport Wales Chief Executive, Sarah Powell, said:
"Sport Wales are delighted to have teamed up with the Commonwealth Games Council for Wales to offer this fantastic opportunity to youngsters across Wales.
"The Commonwealth Games presents an unmissable opportunity for us as a nation to inspire everyone, but especially our children, to take part in sport.
"It is events like those taking place on Sport Your Trainers day that will not only help to unite our country into a team, three-million strong, supporting our athletes on the world stage, but that will also provide the opportunities for children in every community of Wales to be enjoying sport."
For more information please contact Sarah Mogford on 02920 338273 / sarah.mogford@teamwales.co.uk
