The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with Princess Charlotte on Tuesday 2nd August where they joined The Earl and Countess of Wessex in watching some of the sports taking place that day.
Whilst in Birmingham, Their Royal Highnesses visited Team England Futures programme, a partnership between SportsAid, of which The Duchess is Patron, Sport England, and Commonwealth Games England.
Team England Futures gave 1,000 talented young athletes and aspiring support staff the opportunity to attend the Games and take a first-hand look behind-the-scenes. The Futures programme aims to better prepare athletes to deliver medal-winning performances as Team England, Team GB or ParalympicsGB debutants at future Games, while giving support staff a first-hand look at the opportunities they could be presented with, and challenges they may face, at a multi-sport competition.
The programme is designed to help participants understand how to perform at their best, how to handle the pressure and distractions associated with a major Games, and how to make the most of the experience. In advance of the Games, participants had benefitted from online learning, focusing on a whole range of performance-related topics, as well as mentoring from senior athletes. During the Games, every athlete and support staff member participating in Futures was invited to watch live sporting events and spend time with mentors and ambassadors - including Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth medalists - sharing advice and knowledge from their own careers.
The Duke and Duchess met a group of young athletes and support staff at SportsAid House and heard about the support they are receiving from the Futures programme. Their Royal Highnesses then took part in an interactive workshop alongside some athletes where they learnt about the practical advice provided to athletes on nutrition and restful sleep.
The Duchess became the Patron of SportsAid in 2013 and has met many young athletes helped by the charity, as well as Olympians and Paralympians who were previously supported by the organisation, at SportsAid’s training days, performance workshops and fundraising events.
