This week is SportsAid Week (21-27 September), a time to celebrate the resilience, commitment and dedication shown by Britain's young sporting heroes.
SportsAid Week 2020 will see the return of the #MyMiles Challenge which first launched during SportsAid Week 2017. The event is accessible to all and calls for everybody, regardless of ability, to undertake physical activity of your own (how and with whomever you wish) before posting the miles you cover through social media.
SportsAid is a charity that enriches the lives of talented young athletes by recognising and nurturing their abilities through and beyond sport. The #MyMiles Challenge is inspired by SportsAid athletes, typically aged between 12 and 18, who cover around 40 miles in their training every week alongside their educational and personal commitments.
However you clock those miles is up to you - there's no stopwatch in sight. And if you prefer not to walk, run or wheel your way (whether in the great outdoors or on the treadmill or exercise bike), you can also take part by doing a host of your other favourite sports, as long as they keep strictly within the current government Covid-19 guidelines.
Archery is a great way to show your support - remember, 20 minutes = 1 mile, if distance is hard to record.
By putting your trainers on and doing your thing, you will be keeping the next generation of talented athletes company, in your own way, as they return to training despite the continued uncertainty surrounding their competition calendar. Last year's Challenge total saw 51,001 miles covered, so let's see if together we can all beat that PB!
The #MyMiles Challenge has always had two key elements: the first is to help tell the stories of talented young athletes from communities up and down the country while generating awareness about the charity in the process; the second is to invite people to fundraise for SportsAid. Covid-19 has had a profound effect on the charity sector, SportsAid included, so the charity is very appreciative of any fundraising undertaken on their behalf, but stress there's no specific expectation on this front. Please just do what you can and help to celebrate the country's brightest sporting prospects.
Find out more about how you can do you bit for the #MyMiles Challenge. And follow the story on social media using the hashtag #MyMiles.
