Rio Olympic silver medallist Robbie Renwick and bronze medallist Eilidh Doyle were among a selection of athletes who attended the Young Ambassador Conferences in September 2016, sharing their stories and inspiring the next generation.
As part of the national lottery funded programme, each year sportscotland host six regional Young Ambassadors conferences across the country and two pupils from each secondary school in Scotland are invited to attend.
Picture gallery: Young Ambassadors
Reflecting on one of the biggest Young Ambassador conferences held at Hampden, 4x400m relay medallist Eilidh Doyle (nee Child) said: “I was honoured to host the Glasgow leg of sportscotland’s Young Ambassador conferences.
"As a former PE teacher, I understand how important sport is in the wider school curriculum and admire the children who are here today making their voice heard."
The two-time Olympian and Diamond League star went on to say: “I see a lot of myself in these Young Ambassadors, they are so eager to learn. Sport is a fantastic way to express yourself and encourages young people to channel their efforts into something positive. Not only is it a great way to keep fit, but it can be really rewarding and gives younger kids a great sense of achievement.”
Athlete support
The Young Ambassadors took part in a range of workshops with a team of Scottish athletes and sport development professionals, including former Scotland footballer Julie Stewart (nee Fleeting), current team captain Gemma Fay, retired Scottish rugby union player Colin Gregor, former Olympic swimmer Caitlin McClatchey and Olympic snowboarder Ben Kilner, as well as Rio heroes Renwick and Doyle.
The athletes provided the pupils with support and advice to help them gain the skills, knowledge and understanding required to undertake their pivotal role within schools and wider communities as role models and leaders of other young people.
The Young Ambassador programme
There have been over 2,500 Young Ambassadors in Scotland since the programme started in 2012, and 650 new Young Ambassadors attend the conferences each year. For more information on Young Ambassadors, please see video below or visit the sportscotland page.
