Another Successful Super Saturday Of Sport

Record crowds enjoy free local event on Turnham Green

Clare Balding gets into the spirit of things Pictures by Kelly Reeves

A record crowd of Chiswick residents put their trainers on for Chiswick’s Super Saturday of Sport on Turnham Green last Saturday, (16 July).

The event organiser, Kirsten Lonsdale, said Super Saturday was the biggest and best its ever been with crowd numbers now impossible to estimate. Last year the event attracted approximately 8000 people, however Kirsten is confident that record was broken by a long way.

Picture - Kelly Reeves

The crowd started building even before 11 am when Chiswick resident and national broadcaster, Clare Balding opened the event with the traditional mascot race. “I love the originality, the imagination, the different activities – its not just your traditional sports that everyone knows about. There is a real sense here that we could all do with trying something new. If we all do something that we are no good at, we all look silly, and this event removes the embarrassment,“ Clare said.

“The other thing that interested me this year is they introduced the mental wellbeing aspect with the Lendlease Lounge. It had mindfulness workshops, tai chi, yoga and speakers and that is very a good addition, I am very excited about that. To bring the physical activity and mental wellbeing together shows that both aspects are really important to us”, she added.

Picture - Kelly Reeves

More than 40 different sports and activities were available for all ages to try with the new addition of the Lendlease Lounge to address mental wellbeing proving particularly popular. A world expert in mindfulness, Dr Caroline Hoffman spoke alongside The founder of freerunning and James Bond villain, Sebastien Foucan plus The Fitness Explorer, Darryl Edwards.

Lendlease stepped in to sponsor the event when it looked as if it might have to be cancelled or scaled down due to withdrawal of local authority funding. A crowdfunding page had been started by the organisers in a bid to keep the event going when the land development agency stepped in with an offer of sponsorship.

Kirsten Lonsdale said, “I have been overwhelmed by the local business and sports club support offered to Super Saturday throughout the build-up and then the enthusiasm of the residents on the day was spectacular. We have something very special in Chiswick”.

July 21, 2016