0:00:02 > 0:00:04He's going to get the gold!
0:00:04 > 0:00:05The pride of Great Britain -
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Jessica Ennis is the Olympic champion!
0:00:08 > 0:00:11It was a summer like no other.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Have you ever seen anything like that?
0:00:14 > 0:00:16The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
0:00:16 > 0:00:19seemed to touch all our lives.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22But bringing the Games to London was meant to be about more than
0:00:22 > 0:00:25just one incredible summer of sports.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27As the banners everywhere reminded us,
0:00:27 > 0:00:31it was about inspiring a generation of young people across Britain
0:00:31 > 0:00:35to get into sport and make it a big part of their lives.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39So has London 2012 really made a difference to kids' lives?
0:00:39 > 0:00:43In this programme, one year on, I'll be trying to find out.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46I'll be meeting the high-kicking...
0:00:46 > 0:00:47freewheeling...
0:00:47 > 0:00:49BMX-riding kids
0:00:49 > 0:00:52whose lives have been changed for ever by the Games.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54I'll explore the highs...
0:00:54 > 0:00:55If I didn't watch the Olympics,
0:00:55 > 0:00:57I don't think I'd be doing what I'm doing.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58..and lows...
0:00:58 > 0:01:00The message from our school is - legacy, what legacy?
0:01:00 > 0:01:02We've seen nothing at all.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06..to find out if a generation truly was inspired by London 2012.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Sport completely changed my life for the better.
0:01:12 > 0:01:13I was born with cerebral palsy
0:01:13 > 0:01:17and I thought sport was something that I just couldn't do.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20It wasn't until I was 16 that I discovered wheelchair basketball
0:01:20 > 0:01:24and for the first time, I could play on a level playing field
0:01:24 > 0:01:27with other sportsmen and realise my full potential.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And that's what last year's London Games did for other kids.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Like Yasmin.
0:01:34 > 0:01:35I'm Yasmin.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37I am 13 years old.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39I live with my mum, my dad,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42my brother and my two dogs, Zulu and Tula.
0:01:42 > 0:01:47I was born with cerebral palsy, which means that my legs don't work.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52I can't walk and, like, some fiddly things, like, my dexterity
0:01:52 > 0:01:55isn't as good as other people.
0:01:56 > 0:02:01I thought people with a disability couldn't really do sports
0:02:01 > 0:02:04because, like, something like football is not practical.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06Like, I'm in a wheelchair,
0:02:06 > 0:02:09I can't stand up and go hitting a ball around.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13The Paralympics definitely changed my mind.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18It was totally awesome because it showed you that people with
0:02:18 > 0:02:23a disability could do sports even though they had a disability.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Hannah Cockroft and David Weir definitely inspired me.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29You don't think, "Oh, they're disabled."
0:02:29 > 0:02:32You just think that they won or did really well.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34You didn't think of their disability.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37After never having played sport in her life,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Yasmin's been inspired by the Paralympic champions
0:02:40 > 0:02:43to try out wheelchair racing for herself.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45I've got a chair which, like, has three wheels.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47It's, like, really lightweight.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50So it's, like, easy...easier to push.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53And it goes faster than a normal day chair.
0:02:53 > 0:02:57Wheelchair racing is a lot more fun than the regular exercises
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Yasmin has to do to help her cope with cerebral palsy.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05With sport, you are doing exercise but you are having fun doing it.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09And it's really helped her to stay in shape, too.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13I'm a normal 13-year-old who likes wearing make-up and stuff like that,
0:03:13 > 0:03:14so being in shape is very important,
0:03:14 > 0:03:17like it would be to any other person.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19It's not as easy for me to lose weight,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22and also track racing really helps me with that.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Yasmin trains at this London club every week,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and has started taking part in races.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30And she's already won her first medal.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34It was my first race and I beat my personal best by 18 seconds.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37I got presented the medal by David Weir. It was really cool.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39He shook my hand and he was, like, "Well done,"
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and he gave me the medal.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45A year on from London 2012 and sport has made a massive difference
0:03:45 > 0:03:47to how Yasmin sees her own disability,
0:03:47 > 0:03:50and how it is not going to hold her back.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52Since the Paralympics and doing my own sport,
0:03:52 > 0:03:56it made me realise that I can do stuff in life.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59Like, there still is the boundaries, like, I can't do some stuff,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03but there is more stuff that I think I can do, or can try to do.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Stories like Yasmin's are what London 2012
0:04:09 > 0:04:10was supposed to be about
0:04:10 > 0:04:13and the people in charge of bringing the games here
0:04:13 > 0:04:16promised a lasting sporting legacy.
0:04:16 > 0:04:21To understand what this means, we have to go back eight years
0:04:21 > 0:04:22to the summer of 2005.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26London was one of five cities competing to host the 2012 games,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28and it wasn't even the favourite.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31The bid was led by former Olympian Sebastian Coe,
0:04:31 > 0:04:35alongside David Beckham and a host of other sporting stars.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38To help win the bid, London promised to use the games to get
0:04:38 > 0:04:40a generation of young people into sport.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44SEBASTIAN COE SPEAKS:
0:04:45 > 0:04:47It worked.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51We got the games, and there were massive celebrations back in London.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53As the stadiums started going up,
0:04:53 > 0:04:56there was lots of debate over whether it was all worth the money,
0:04:56 > 0:04:58and whether the Games would deliver.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00But in the summer of 2012,
0:05:00 > 0:05:03from the moment the opening ceremony bounded into life,
0:05:03 > 0:05:07deliver they did. And how!
0:05:07 > 0:05:09The Games gave all of us some unforgettable moments
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and really seemed to create a sense of pride and enthusiasm
0:05:12 > 0:05:14across the country.
0:05:14 > 0:05:19A year on, and the focus is now on whether the success of the Games
0:05:19 > 0:05:21inspired more young people to get involved in sport.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24So has it created a sporting legacy?
0:05:25 > 0:05:28The official picture we have so far is mixed.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32Figures for England show that since we won the bid back in 2005,
0:05:32 > 0:05:36there are 1.4 million more over-16s playing sports.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39Some sports, like athletics and cycling,
0:05:39 > 0:05:41have recorded a big boost in numbers.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46But others like swimming and tennis, have actually seen numbers fall.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Although the overall trend since 2005, has been upwards,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51a dip in the number of people playing sport
0:05:51 > 0:05:52in the last six months,
0:05:52 > 0:05:55shows that the legacy is far from guaranteed.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02There are no recent figures to show the number of CBBC-age kids
0:06:02 > 0:06:04getting involved in sport,
0:06:04 > 0:06:06so, here at Newsround, we've commissioned our own survey
0:06:06 > 0:06:08to try and get a better picture.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12Over half the kids surveyed said they play more sport now
0:06:12 > 0:06:15than before London 2012,
0:06:15 > 0:06:18but 42% said they did want to take up a new sport
0:06:18 > 0:06:21but were not able to, with one of the main reasons for this
0:06:21 > 0:06:23being a lack of places to play.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25Getting the right facilities in place
0:06:25 > 0:06:29is going to be really important in bringing more kids into sport,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32especially in poorer inner-city areas.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35It's a big part of why this deprived area of East London
0:06:35 > 0:06:38was chosen to be transformed into the Olympic Park.
0:06:38 > 0:06:42And for kids like Nathan, it's right on their doorstep.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53My name is Nathan, I'm 14 years old, and I'm from East London.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57And this is my area, and that is the Olympic Stadium, right there.
0:06:57 > 0:07:00Before, when I was younger, I used to ride down here with my friends.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03It has changed massively because of the Olympics.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06Nathan and his BMX-mad mates have grown up riding bikes
0:07:06 > 0:07:08around the streets of Tower Hamlets -
0:07:08 > 0:07:10one of the poorest parts of London.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12But the 2012 Games have begun
0:07:12 > 0:07:14to improve the sporting opportunities for kids here.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17I think it has made a big difference to the kids' lives.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20They've made things like skate parks.
0:07:20 > 0:07:22The facilities are much more better.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26In the next five years, £250 million is being pumped
0:07:26 > 0:07:29into facilities and clubs all across the country.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32It's already having an impact on Nathan.
0:07:32 > 0:07:33He's now part of a BMX club
0:07:33 > 0:07:35that trains at one of five new tracks
0:07:35 > 0:07:38only built because of the London Games.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40My club is called Bow Boys BMX Club.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43And today that Bow Boys are unveiling their new kit,
0:07:43 > 0:07:45which the kids designed themselves.
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Nathan, what do you think of the tops?
0:07:47 > 0:07:50I think it's actually good, because, like, it's bright,
0:07:50 > 0:07:51and the flame is hot, innit?
0:07:51 > 0:07:54So it can represent us, because we're really good on bikes.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Giving the kids facilities where they can practise their tricks
0:08:01 > 0:08:04is vital in inner-city areas like Nathan's.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07There's a problem here with kids falling into gangs,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11and the club helps these guys steer clear of trouble.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13The club's really important because if we weren't at the club,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17then we'd be on the street. It's given us - me and my friends -
0:08:17 > 0:08:20and the members of the club of the club somewhere safe to BMX,
0:08:20 > 0:08:21and, like, guidance.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24This club really helps because it keeps a lot of people
0:08:24 > 0:08:27away from trouble. No-one really messes about here.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31I like hanging out with my friends. It's a place to clear your head.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Some people just hang around in streets and that,
0:08:34 > 0:08:35with nothing to do.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38But when you come here, it's like we're a team
0:08:38 > 0:08:42and we help each other out, and we never get into arguments.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44And if the kids here ever do fallout,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46or fall off their bikes,
0:08:46 > 0:08:49it's Nathan's job as club captain to step in.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52It's my role to make sure people are not misbehaving
0:08:52 > 0:08:55or doing anything they're not supposed to.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59- It's Darren.- Is he all right? No, no-one go.- No-one go.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Nathan's role as captain has made a big difference to his life,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05even away from the club.
0:09:05 > 0:09:06I think Mum's very proud of me.
0:09:06 > 0:09:09BMX club has been really important for Nathan
0:09:09 > 0:09:14because, being a captain, he's in charge, that's a leader.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18And if his brothers and sisters are doing something wrong, he steps in.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Leah, be careful. Don't lean back too much.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25The thing I like about BMXing is that we can ride around
0:09:25 > 0:09:27with our friends, learn new tricks,
0:09:27 > 0:09:30and show them to other people that don't know about it.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33Being part of the club has opened up new opportunities for the kids here,
0:09:33 > 0:09:37and it's made Nathan realise that he really can aim high in life
0:09:37 > 0:09:39and achieve his dreams.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43We went to Manchester BMX track and got to meet some Olympic BMX riders.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46They told us how they started in a BMX club like us,
0:09:46 > 0:09:47and then they progressed.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49So I think it was very inspiring
0:09:49 > 0:09:51because we can maybe do the same one day.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Getting the right facilities in place is important,
0:09:57 > 0:10:00but, for kids, schools will continue to play a big part
0:10:00 > 0:10:02in bringing them into sports.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05This school is only a mile from the Olympic Park
0:10:05 > 0:10:09and some of the kids here were part of the opening ceremony itself.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12What did you actually do as part of the opening ceremony?
0:10:12 > 0:10:15We was picked to walk around with petals,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18and we walked in front of the countries' teams.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20We all saw all of the celebrities lining up behind,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22like, Usain Bolt, we saw him, and he was waving at us.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Yeah, it was a really good time for me, yeah.
0:10:25 > 0:10:28You were like a great part of the opening ceremony.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30If Mo Farah can do it, why can't I?
0:10:30 > 0:10:32He has just given me the faith that if he can do it
0:10:32 > 0:10:34anyone else can do it.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37The children here really were inspired by the Games,
0:10:37 > 0:10:40but their teacher is worried that changes
0:10:40 > 0:10:42made by the government to the funding of school sports has led
0:10:42 > 0:10:44to the loss of specialist coaches,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46and that not enough is being done now
0:10:46 > 0:10:49to build on the success of the Games.
0:10:49 > 0:10:52The legacy is all about getting kids involved in sport.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Is there enough being done in schools?
0:10:54 > 0:10:57The message from our school is - legacy? What legacy?"
0:10:57 > 0:10:58We've seen nothing at all.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02Just before the Olympics, we lost a lot of specialist sports coaches
0:11:02 > 0:11:04and where they've gone there's now a hole.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08There is so much talent out there but it doesn't run itself,
0:11:08 > 0:11:10you need sports coaches,
0:11:10 > 0:11:13you need people involved going in and working with the young people
0:11:13 > 0:11:18and giving them the next step, so we don't lose what happened last year.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21The government say they are putting new funding into school sports,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24and that their plans will be more effective
0:11:24 > 0:11:27than the old ones at getting kids involved.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30But one thing's for sure, if we want to build on the long-term success
0:11:30 > 0:11:33of the Games to find the gold-medal winners of the future,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36it's going to be important to find and develop kids
0:11:36 > 0:11:38from all walks of life.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42Since 2012, the extra funding given to sporting bodies,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45is trying to make this happen for the most promising youngsters,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47kids like Abigail.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56My name is Abigail, I am 14 years old
0:11:56 > 0:11:58and my ambition is to get gold in the Olympics.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02I have been doing taekwondo for ten years.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04I train at my local club in Liverpool.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09Since the Olympics, you've seen more and more kids coming in
0:12:09 > 0:12:13and trying it out and saying, "I want to be in the Olympics."
0:12:13 > 0:12:14SHOUTS
0:12:14 > 0:12:16The Olympics inspired me, because if I keep going
0:12:16 > 0:12:18I could get medals too.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23You make new friends, like, all the while, like.
0:12:25 > 0:12:26If I didn't watch the Olympics,
0:12:26 > 0:12:28I don't think I'd be doing what I am doing.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33After Jade Jones won Britain's first-ever Olympic taekwondo
0:12:33 > 0:12:35gold medal at the 2012 Games,
0:12:35 > 0:12:38the sport has seen a big increase in its funding
0:12:38 > 0:12:40to bring on their most talented kids.
0:12:40 > 0:12:42A group that now includes Abigail.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46I got noticed by the GB Team when I was quite little.
0:12:46 > 0:12:48They spotted me and they spoke to Peter
0:12:48 > 0:12:49and said what a great talent I was,
0:12:49 > 0:12:53and that I could go far within taekwondo.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56But to get to the top takes hard work and lots of it.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Abigail runs every morning before school
0:12:58 > 0:13:02and trains four nights a week as well as weekends at her club.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05As the youngest member of the Great Britain junior squad,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07she also trains with the elite academy.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13This is the home of GB Taekwondo.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17The Olympic team train here every day, twice a day,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19and they only have a Sunday off.
0:13:19 > 0:13:24So that's why we get the facilities on Sunday, to come up and train.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26It is inspiring because, just basically
0:13:26 > 0:13:29because of all the people who have trained here and done so well.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32It's like you want to follow in their footsteps.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35And Abigail has recently taken a giant leap towards her goal -
0:13:35 > 0:13:38she's just been selected to compete for Great Britain
0:13:38 > 0:13:40at the Junior European Championships.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42When I found out, I had tears in my eyes,
0:13:42 > 0:13:46because I didn't believe that I was going to actually get in there.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48- Well done, babe.- Thank you.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52And that success has started to make a difference to her confidence too.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58When I was going through junior school,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01I used to be, like, really quiet,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03until I started taekwondo
0:14:03 > 0:14:07and I've just got more confident in myself.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11At the end of this bout, Abigail is the clear winner.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13I won 14-1.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16I was trying out the new techniques that we were working on today
0:14:16 > 0:14:18and I scored with them, so maybe they can work now,
0:14:18 > 0:14:20so hopefully I can do it like that
0:14:20 > 0:14:22and bring back a medal from the Europeans.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24The road to the Olympics is tough,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26but Abigail is determined to succeed.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30And she knows she can rely on the support of those closest to her.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33My family and my friends all say that they're proud of me,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35and what I'm doing and that I shouldn't give up
0:14:35 > 0:14:38because I can achieve something that I want to achieve.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43If I hadn't found sport as a kid,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46I would never have achieved half of the things that I did.
0:14:46 > 0:14:49It changed my life, and it has been inspiring to see it change
0:14:49 > 0:14:51the lives of the kids that I have met.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53Whether it has done that for a whole generation,
0:14:53 > 0:14:55it's probably too early to say.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58But if we ever start to doubt that the power of sport
0:14:58 > 0:15:00can change people's lives,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03there will be a permanent reminder right here
0:15:03 > 0:15:05in this corner of East London.
0:15:05 > 0:15:09Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd