The Sport Imaginarium Bath is a sustainability workshop, run by Olympians Etienne Stott and Laura Baldwin, which aims to harness the power of imagination and the sporting mindset to inspire action to tackle the climate and nature crisis.

Taking place from 6.30-9pm on Thursday 27th June, the Imaginarium coincides with the arrival at the Team Bath Sports Training Village of the Running Out of Time Relay – a 29-day, 210-stage human-powered baton journey from Ben Nevis to Big Ben in time for election day on Thursday 4th July. The baton will stay in Bath overnight before departing on the next leg of its 2,436km journey at 10.30am on Friday 28th.

Stott, Olympic gold-medallist in canoe slalom from London 2012, said: “We jumped at the chance to hold a Sport Imaginarium at Bath, which is such a powerhouse of sport in the UK. Sport has a huge reach and we believe it could use this huge power to adopt a bold leadership position on climate action, ensuring a safe and healthy future for participants and fans across Bath, the country and the entire planet.”

Representatives from across the Bath sporting community – including Fell, Gardener and Williams – will come together at the Imaginarium to help create a vision for the future of sport which is compelling and exciting, while also fuelling the action necessary to overcome obstacles and challenge the climate and nature emergency.

Free tickets for the Sport Imaginarium Bath can be booked at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sport-imaginarium-bath-tickets-920663839327.

The Sport Imaginarium is supported by The Green Runners, Champions For Earth and Sport Local For Life. For more information about the Running Out of Time Relay, visit running-out-of-time.com.

The University of Bath declared a climate emergency in 2020 and has committed to a Climate Action Framework to tackle the climate crisis. Find out more at www.bath.ac.uk/topics/climate-change-and-the-university-of-bath.

With thanks to Team Bath

Amy has a close personal connection to the youth sport programme, whose new term of activities start this week, with her two young sons among the hundreds of children who take part in a wide range of sporting activities each week in the inspirational surroundings of the Team Bath Sports Training Village.

“This is where I and many other athletes trained to become an Olympic Champion but it is also a place where youngsters can develop what will hopefully be a lifelong love for sport and activity,” said Amy, who made history by winning women’s skeleton gold for Team GB at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

“My sons love meeting new friends and trying out the different sports in a fun, welcoming and safe environment, and the coaches are all really friendly, encouraging and knowledgeable.

“I obviously have first-hand experience of how sport can enrich your life and I think it is so important for children to get involved from a young age. It helps with physical and mental development, it provides valuable life skills such as teamwork and commitment, and it offers an opportunity to meet new people and forge friendships outside of school. Most importantly, it’s fun!”

Team Bath Tribe runs after-school and weekend activities for children from pre-school to Year 11 in such sports as athletics, badminton, football, judo, netball and trampolining. The energetic, multi-skill movement sessions provide a fun-first experience for younger children, while classes for older children also focus on participation and sports-specific skill development.

There is also a ‘Learn to Swim’ programme, with parent and child sessions for youngsters aged from four months to pre-school in the hydro pool and swim classes for older children in Team Bath’s Olympic-sized pool.

Sporting camps take place during the school holidays too, with bookings opening soon for October half-term. Find out more about Team Bath Tribe by visiting teambath.com/Tribe.

With thanks to the Team Bath Press Office

The #20For20 challenge is for people to burn an additional 20,000 calories above their normal routine over a 20-week period.

To help reach those goals, Team Bath is running a series of free activities in the £30million Sports Training Village and the surrounding University of Bath campus including guided walks, group exercise classes, fun team tournaments and swim sessions in the OIympic-sized London 2012 Legacy Pool.

As an added incentive, people are also being encouraged to raise money for a charity of their choice through sponsorship while undertaking the challenge, with the aim of participants raising £20,000 in total.

“Increasing your fitness levels is so important, both physically and mentally, and I am delighted to be backing this cause,” said Williams, who trained at the University of Bath during a stellar sporting career that saw her famously win skeleton gold for Team GB at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

“You can do bike rides, walks, go for a swim, take on the challenge on your own or buddy up with a friend – whatever takes your fancy and gets you active.

“You don’t have to be a Team Bath member to take part, it is open to everyone and all are welcome to join in the free exercise sessions. You could even put the money you would have spent on a class to the charity you are supporting.

“This is a great opportunity to get fit and support a good cause at the same time. I’ve signed up for the challenge and hope that plenty of others get behind it too.”

The campaign is running until October 26, 2018, and people can track their progress using the Team Bath Active app – available in the App Store and Google Play – or through their personal fitness trackers. Alternatively, there is a chart on the Team Bath website illustrating how many calories are burnt during a walk, run, swim or bike ride.

Among the free fitness sessions taking place are Wimbledon-themed cardio tennis, guided walks and runs around the campus, spin classes and a rounders tournament. They are adapted for people of all abilities and fitness levels.

For more information about the Team Bath 20For20 Fitness Campaign, including details of the free exercise sessions and how to sign up, visit www.teambath.com/fitness.

Courtesy of the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight

Amy and Jason start the Olympic Day Run (Photo: Matchtight)

Bath’s ‘Golden Girl’ Amy Williams who won Gold in the women’s Skeleton event at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, has been honoured in recognition of her distinguished sporting career as a skeleton racer. The ‘Bath Bullet’ Jason Gardener is an Olympic Gold Medallist, World and European Indoor Champion and has been honoured in recognition of his distinguished sporting career.

Both trained at the University during their illustrious careers and received their degrees in a ceremony attended by family and friends, as well as their former schoolteachers and coaches.

Jason said: “It is great that two local kids from Bath were able to reach the pinnacle of our sports and be crowned as Olympic Champions without having to move away from our city. Thank you to the University of Bath for the part you played and for recognising our success.”

Amy added: “It is an honour to receive this recognition in the University of Bath’s 50^th anniversary year. Representing my city and my country has always meant a lot to me.”

In winning gold, Amy became the first British athlete to win a solo Winter Olympic Gold medal in 30 years and the first by a woman for 58 years.

Amy started training at Bath in 2002 making use of the newly-installed push start track at the Sports Training Village and completed a Foundation Degree in Sports Performance from the University of Bath in 2007.

Following winning Gold in Vancouver, Amy was awarded an MBE in the 2010 Queen’s Birthday Honours and became the first-ever female Honorary Freeman of the City of Bath. Since retiring, she has enjoyed a number of successful careers including presenting on numerous TV shows, and hosting, presenting and speaking to many companies, businesses & schools. Most recently, Amy gave birth to her baby boy Oscar Nash and lives happily married in Bath with husband Craig Ham.

Amy said: “I’m flattered but delighted to be awarded an honorary degree. The University of Bath, and especially its outstanding sports facilities, has been a very important part of my life for many years, ever since my school days here in Bath. I could not have achieved what I did without the opportunities provided by the University.”

Director of Sport at the University of Bath, Stephen Baddeley, added: “As a resident of Bath and a graduate of the University, Amy’s historic achievement in winning Gold in the Winter Olympics brought immense profile and recognition to the University of Bath and it is highly fitting that the University is recognising her considerable contribution through the conferring of an honorary degree. I’m extremely honoured to have been selected to deliver her oration.”

Jason won Gold in the 2004 Athens Olympics 4x100m relay and is the 2004 Budapest 60m World Indoor Champion and four time 60m European Indoor Gold Medallist (2000, 2002, 2005, 2007). Jason is also a member of the exclusive sub-10 second club for 100m having clocked a personal best of 9.98 seconds.

He began training at the University in 2002 under the tutelage of Malcolm Arnold OBE, one of the most successful athletics coaches in the world. In 2014, Jason was made an Honorary Freeman of the City of Bath and was inducted into the University of Bath’s Hall of Fame for Sport, and was awarded an MBE for services to athletics in 2005.

Jason retired in 2007 and is currently President of UK Athletics. He also runs his own marketing consultancy agency, specialising in the Olympic and mainstream sports market, working with some of the world’s most renowned brands. He is also a highly successful motivational speaker delivering engaging and inspiring speeches to a range of businesses and organisations.

Jason said: “I am delighted and honoured to be chosen to receive an honorary degree from the University of Bath for services to sport. I owe much of my successes to many people from the city of Bath and support staff at the University who have played an integral part in enabling me to reach the highest level in my sport, for which I am truly very thankful.”

Stephen Baddeley added: “Perhaps the most important thing to say about Jason is how genuinely liked he is around the Sports Training Village to which he is a regular visitor. He is respected by our sporting community for his achievements and immensely popular amongst staff and members for his warm, friendly and charming character. I am delighted that he is being honoured with this well-deserved accolade.”

Before receiving their Honorary Degrees, Amy and Jason acted as official starters for the Olympic Day Run at the University of Bath Sports Training Village – an annual celebration of International Olympic Day and the values of the Games.

Key Stage 2 pupils from four primary schools in Bath – Roundhill, Swainswick, St Philip’s and Moorlands, Jason’s former school – took part in the run during a day-long festival of sport at the University which also featured judo, softball, volleyball and trampolining.

Report courtesy of the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight Ltd.