Jersey children get private audience with Tom Daley

Monday 12 May 2014

Commonwealth Games Ambassador and Olympic medal-winning diver Tom Daley, took time out before welcoming the Queen's baton back on British soil, to meet local sporting children.

Around 100 boys and girls aged from eight to 16 gathered at Hotel L'Horizon in St Brelade for the invitation-only question and answer session with the Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallist. Tom, who is just 19, spoke openly with the young audience who asked a range of questions about his sporting career.

The children represented various sports in the island, from swimming to squash and tennis to bowls. They started by asking what made him start diving and learnt that he was originally also into competitive judo. There were questions about the amount of work needed to attain sporting greatness, and they asked him how he managed to fit in his diving training with his school work. Tom has nine A or A* grade GCSE's and three A or A* grade A levels in Maths, Spanish and Photography. Tom told the children it's important to still do your school work because you never know if an injury might occur and end your sporting career. He said he used the same focus and determination for his homework that he uses for sports training.

The children also learnt that before a competition Tom has egg whites and spinach for breakfast, and has to follow a strict diet to stay fit. He also hinted that we haven't seen his best dives yet, by saying most divers peak from about the age of 22.

It was Tom's first visit to Jersey. His main role was to welcome the Queen's baton back on British soil. The baton has been touring the Commonwealth nations and territories since 9th October when it left Buckingham Palace. It will next go on to Guernsey and will tour the British isles until the start of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on 23rd July. After the Q & A session Tom left for St Aubin's harbour to bring the baton ashore, along with 23-year-old Team Jersey medal hopeful and British indoor championship shot-putter Zane Duquemin.

The flight carrying the hand-crafted baton, containing a personal message from the Queen which will be a key part of the July 23 opening ceremony, arrived at Jersey Airport just before 4pm on Sunday.

The arrival marked the start of the home nations' leg of the baton's 288-day international journey towards the start of the Games.

Unlike the Olympic and Paralympic torch relays where the flame was passed through hundreds of torches, there is just one baton for the Commonwealth Games.

This means that up to 4,000 people will have carried the Queen's message before it is read out to the world when the Games begin.

For the next 32 days, it will travel through Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Wales and England, rallying athletes as they get ready to compete for medals in Glasgow.

A 40-day journey through 400 communities across Scotland will begin on June 14 when the baton reaches the proud host nation of the 2014 Games.