Nearly 1,000 children from Corby took part in the Tata - Kids of Steel® triathlon event in the town on Friday 9 May. The event was the first in a series of nine taking place across Great Britain between May and July.

School children aged between eight and 13, regardless of ability or experience, gathered from across the city to swim, cycle and run at the International Pool and give triathlon a try. The children are among up to 8,000 nationally this year that will have the opportunity to have a fun, positive experience of sport.

British Paratriathlete and member of British Triathlon’s UK Sport Lottery funded World-Class Paratriathlon Programme, Jimmy Goddard was thrilled to support the event and encourage the children to ‘tri-a triathlon’: “What an amazing day and an amazing sight –hundreds of children taking part in a triathlon – swimming, biking and running. They all loved the challenge and the sense of achievement – and the medal at the end – it was great to see everyone getting involved.”

Tata – Kids of Steel® events are part of Tata Steel’s overall Community Partnership Programme. Stuart Welch, Business Development Director at Tata Steel in Corby who volunteered at the event said: 'Tata Steel is proud to support our local communities and the Tata – Kids of Steel® event at Corby was brilliant – nearly 1,000 children from local schools taking part in a mini-triathlon – the energy, excitement and enthusiasm was contagious.'

The events could not happen without the volunteers. Students from the Prince William School in Corby joined almost 30 Tata Steel employees as volunteers at the event, ensuring the day ran safely and smoothly. Andy Morcombe, who works in Customer Services at Tata Steel said: “My children have taken part previously, so I’ve been a spectator in the past. It’s fantastic – great energy and great fun – I’ll definitely be helping out again next year.”

British Triathlon CEO, Zara Hyde Peters OBE, added “The Corby Tata – Kids of Steel® event has successfully helped another 1,000 youngsters to experience triathlon in this eighth year of running the event. Alongside the event team and fantastic volunteers, our Community Sponsor, Tata Steel, has ensured that every child walked away from today with a smile on their face and I hope that many of them, along with their families and friends, will have been inspired to become a fan of our sport following the success of the top British triathletes or to become more involved in triathlon in the future.”

Corby MP Andy Sawford also attended the event, cheering the children across the finish line and handing out medals. He said: “This was a brilliant event and it was great to see so many local children taking part. They all showed lots of commitment and enthusiasm and can be very proud of their achievement. Hopefully they will be inspired to take part in sports in the future.

“Well done to Tata Steel, Corby Borough Council and all the volunteers and school staff who helped make the day such a success.”

The Tata – Kids of Steel® event at Corby had a festival atmosphere, with the children being able to take part in a number of additional activities, including cheerleading, boxing and athletics. Lakelands Hospice provided refreshments for the volunteers and participants, while Corby Radio provided the tunes and encouragement. Children could also meet firefighters from the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service and see inside a fire engine.

Since the series launched in 2007, Tata Steel and British Triathlon have enabled nearly 60,000 children to participate in triathlon, with every child receiving a medal for taking part, in addition to a T-shirt, swim cap and gym sack, in recognition of their achievement. The events are organised and delivered on behalf of the sport by the British Triathlon Trust in close collaboration with local schools and community sports clubs, giving children a unique, fun and positive experience of sport – regardless of ability or disability – and help to increase self-esteem and confidence.

By 2016 Tata Steel and British Triathlon aim to have given 100,000 children the chance to participate in a Tata – Kids of Steel® event.

Tata Steel has sponsored the British Triathlon Federation since 2006, and is proud to continue its association as its Community Sponsor supporting Tata – Kids of Steel® and having a positive impact on the lives of young people throughout Great Britain.

ends

For further information, contact:

Rob Simpson, Head of Media Relations, Tata Steel

T. +44 (0) 207 717 4404 or E. rob.simpson@tatasteel.com

Tom Goldspin, Communications Manager, British Triathlon

T. +44 (0) 7795 415 452 or E. tomgoldspink@britishtriathlon.org 

About Tata Steel’s European operations

Tata Steel is Europe's second largest steel producer, with steelmaking in the UK and Netherlands, and manufacturing plants across Europe. The company supplies products and services to the most demanding markets, including construction, automotive, packaging, rail, lifting & excavating, energy & power and aerospace. The combined Tata Steel group is one of the world’s largest steel producers, with a steel capacity of 29 million tonnes and 80,000 employees across four continents.

About British Triathlon

British Triathlon is the Governing Body for the sport in Great Britain. It is responsible for raising the profile and delivering elite performance for Triathlon, Paratriathlon, Duathlon and Aquathlon in Great Britain. Triathlon is a fast growing, dynamic and modern Olympic sport with talented world-class athletes, coaches and support staff, focused around delivering world-class events and medal winning performances.

Great Britain is home to the 2012 Olympic Champion (Alistair Brownlee) and bronze medallist (Jonathan Brownlee) as well as numerous current world champions www.britishtriathlonmedia.org/current-world-champions amongst a strong squad of world ranked elite triathletes, and emerging talent from our youth development programmes. British Triathlon enables paratriathletes to deliver world-class success, raising the profile of paratriathlon in the build up to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

There are over 850 triathlon events conducted in Great Britain each year including the British Triathlon Super Series, which attracts athletes from all over the world. British Triathlon is committed to being a leader in environmental awareness in sport, protecting the environment in which we operate today and in the future.

British Triathlon aims to promote excellence in our sport, and create opportunities for everyone to achieve their personal triathlon challenges. www.britishtriathlon.org

British Triathlon is a beneficiary of the UK Sport Lottery funded World-Class Programmes (WCP). The programmes focus on performance sport with the aim of achieving sporting excellence on the world stage. Further information can be found on the UK Sport website at www.uksport.gov.uk.

Visit www.britishtriathlonmedia.org for downloadable image galleries, detailed athlete profiles, results, stats and information.

About the British Triathlon Trust

The Trust uses the engaging sport of triathlon to encourage children to become more active, not only improving their health, but also developing their social skills, increasing self esteem and nurturing good habits such as commitment, discipline and respect.

Over 11,500 'active days' delivered in 2013 and targeting over 20,000 'active days' in 2014.

Help the Trust by donating at www.britishtriathlontrust.org