Team GB swimmer James Guy returned to a hero’s welcome at Heathrow Airport this week following an impressive Olympic Games which saw him claim two gold medals and a silver in the pool.
The 25-year-old won double Olympic gold in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay and the 4x100m mixed medley relay and won silver in the men’s 4x100m medley. The Olympian is now looking forward to celebrating his medal success with the Great British public on August 14 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, after friends, family and supporters were unable to witness his success in Tokyo due to the pandemic.
“It has been such a difficult 18 months for everyone around the UK,” said Guy. “Hopefully the Olympic Games and the performances of Team GB have helped to lift the mood of the nation,” he added.
“Tokyo was such a wonderful experience for me personally and I hope that the millions of people watching the Olympic Games have a newfound ambition to try sport.”
Now back in the UK, James – along with a host of other athletes including GB’s most successful sport climber, Shauna Coxsey, BMX rider Declan Brooks, diver Matty Lee and weightlifter Emily Campbell – will be attending I Am Team GB; a jamboree of Olympic sport in the capital to celebrate the team’s success and encourage participation in sport.
“Being active is so important for people’s mental and physical well-being – and the weekend in August is a great opportunity to experience what it is like to be an Olympian,” Guy commented.
“I Am Team GB represents a great opportunity for me, as a Team GB Olympian, to give back to the community that has done so much to support me on my journey as an athlete, and hopefully play a role in inspiring more people to get active, play Olympic sport and live healthier lifestyles.”
The free London event will take place on August 14, starting at 10.30am at the Olympic Stadium with a ‘Lap of Honour’ around the venue, finishing at the event village where participants can take part in rowing, cycling, skateboarding, weightlifting and a host of other activities.
Judo and weightlifting demonstrations will take place on the main stage, with Team GB athletes providing a unique insight into their respective disciplines and of course, their experience at Tokyo 2020. Food and drink will be available to purchase in the village, while Lap of Honour participants will also be given a free I Am Team GB t-shirt.
The village will be open between 10am – 3pm, with Lap of Honour waves taking place every 30 minutes from 10.30am until 2pm.
There will also be free hero events at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, and the University of Hull, plus a family fun day at Paultons Park, the home of Team GB’s newest recruit Peppa Pig, while other events will be taking place all over the country on August 14 and 15.
I Am Team GB, in partnership with Toyota, is already a much-loved and successful mass participation event, having seen over one million people in the UK take part after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and welcome home the country’s history making athletes at their local sports clubs and community events.
Those wanting to attend the Festival of Sport at the Olympic Park on August 14, or any of the activities taking place across the UK, should visit www.IamTeamGB.com and search for your local event.
