"It makes me feel special racing today because the Olympics used to be on this track. I had so much fun going up and down!"

On Friday 14 June, Access Sport hosted the London School Games at the Lee Valley Olympic BMX track for the first time since the pandemic. With over 70 young people from across London participating, it was an inspiring day of inclusive community sport!

The London School Games is part of our Changing Sports cycling outreach work. By offering inactive, disadvantaged and disabled young people the opportunity to ride at amazing venues, like the Olympic Park, we empower them to create transformational communities centred around cycling.

Contributing to the legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games, the young people raced in a traditional BMX racing format with each rider completing 3 races (motos) which then determined their seeding for the finals. Having attended Access Sport’s cycling sessions, the young people came from a range of backgrounds, including pupil referral units, home education groups and traditional schools.

Dillian, a teacher from Newhaven Pupil Referral Unit, said: “Socially, today is great for them. They’re all helping each other and cheering each other on, which in other situations they might not do. So it is nice for them to come together and work as a group”.

The races mark the climax of the Access Sport Changing Sports cycling programme and it proved to be a brilliant opportunity for the riders to showcase their amazing skills. Congratulations to Safiyyah (home-educated), Yunus (home-educated) and Jake (Newhaven PRU) for coming first in the finals.

Kai from Bannockburn Primary School said
“It makes me feel special racing today because the Olympics used to be on this track. I had so much fun going up and down!”

The Games also celebrated the young people’s sportsmanship. It was tough competition as all the schools were cheering each other on with lots of enthusiasm, but in the end, Saint Teresa Primary School, from Finchley, took home the trophy for the most supportive team. Saint Teresa were excellent throughout the day supporting all the riders with relentless energy. Many of the teachers commented that it was inspiring to see so many young people from different backgrounds come together to create such an inclusive and positive atmosphere.

Alexis from Saint Teresa Primary School said
“Today has been so much fun. I got second in my race! It doesn’t matter if you fall you just get up and keeping going!”

Events like this one showcase the transformational impact community sport can have on young people from underserved backgrounds. By bringing these groups of like-minded young people together, and providing the opportunity to ride in such an inspiring Olympic venue, we have been able to create a wonderful sense of community and a clear feeling of belonging. It was also brilliant to see young people from different postcodes socialising in such a positive and productive way.

Kyle from Newhaven Pupil Referral Unit said
“It has been a fun day! BMX gets me out and I can socialise with other people more. It gives you sportsmanship and it means you get more time outside to play with your friends”.

Photography From the School Games, July 2023 
To take a look at photos from the event by using the arrows to click through the image gallery below, or click here to visit the gallery to download an image:

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To find out more about inclusive cycling in London and our upcoming events please email:
[email protected]