05/06/2024
Paralympics GB team member Ashley Facey got young people excited about sport and the summer Olympics and Paralympics at the Path to Paris event in Mile End Park on Wednesday 29 May.
Path to Paris
The Path to Paris event was organised by us along with Tower Hamlets Council, Team GB and Paralympics GB, was the culmination of weeks of sports sessions for children aged 5 to 11.
At Mile End Park, almost 400 people were able to sample a number of different sports including:
- Kayaking
- Archery
- Basketball
- BMX
- Athletics
Over the past few weeks, local groups, sports clubs and schools have been offering activities across Poplar for young people to join. All in-person activities were tracked, helping to accumulate the distance needed to get from Athens, the historical home of the Olympics, to Paris.
Young people also had the chance to speak to Paralympian Ashley Facey, who grew up in Tower Hamlets. Speaking about Path to Paris, Ashley said: “We’re trying to get kids active, get them moving. And maybe we’ll find another Olympian or Paralympian here.”
Ashley was born with Erbs palsy, which has affected the nerves in the right side of his body, primarily in his arm and shoulder. A keen sports fan, he started playing table tennis in year 7 at Morpeth School in Bethnal Green, and immediately impressed coaches with his talent. He competed in his first Paralympic Games in Rio 2016.
Lutfa Begum and her friend Sulfa Begum were two of the mums who came to the Path to Paris event. They said: “Our kids love playing games and enjoying activities – just to release their energy! Keeping them active is our priority. We’ve had lots of fun today.”
“An investment in our community’s future”
Kosru Uddin, Assistant Director of Community Development and Wellbeing at PoplarHARCA, said: “We’re thrilled by the community’s positive reaction to the Path to Paris programme. At Poplar HARCA, we see it as more than just sports; it’s an investment in our community’s future. Through this initiative, young people are developing skills, resilience, and teamwork that go beyond the playing field, which has been made possible with our close with local community partners.”
Dan Murray, from Tower Hamlets Council, said: “Youth and sport is a really important part of work at the council. Path to Paris is part of celebrating young people’s achievements taking part so far, but also getting more young people involved in sports, taking part in things they’ve never done before.”