Olympic gold medallist celebrates Kingston athletes (From Kingston Guardian)

Olympic gold medallist celebrates Kingston athletes

7:10am Friday 25th May 2012 in News By Clare Buchanan

An Olympic gold medallist joined the borough’s budding athletes to celebrate their many achievements.

Sally Gunnell visited Kingston University for the sports performance programmes awards ceremony and presented students with sports jackets and certificates to mark achievements over the year.

The event was held to mark the significance of 2012 to sport and to acknowledge the university’s sport performance scheme’s new elite level, for athletes currently under selection for the Olympic or Paralympic Games. Gunnell, who won gold in the 400m hurdles in the 1992 Barcelona Games, spoke to the students and visitors about her training preparations, thoughts and emotions during her Olympic experience.

Sports development manager at Kingston University Jo Heath said: “By sharing her initial doubts and insecurities as an athlete as well as the details of how she overcame them, Sally really reinforced to the students how critical it is to have strong self belief as a young athlete on the verge of making the jump to the pinnacle of sport.

“The audience was lifted by her inspirational stories – especially when she passed around her Olympic Gold medal.”

Gunnell is the only woman ever to hold four major track titles concurrently – the Olympic, world, European and Commonwealth 400m hurdles crowns.