Yorkshire Olympic Dreams

Been in a few months' time Yorkshire hosts... These are

Yorkshire's: six as well. Tonight we will give you the inside track

The making of a golden girl. We have exclusive access to the

training camp for Jessica Ennis. Overcoming adversity. Sarah

Stevenson tells us about the worst year of her life, they head of the

most important year of her career. And we follow the table tennis

player doing extra shifts at his local supermarket to pay his way to

the Paralympics. Jessica Ennis is world No. 1, with an apparently

clear path to Olympic gold. All that changed last summer when she

came second in the world championships. It meant a new

challenge for her and her coach. Can they gained top spot when it

matters most? This is day one, the first warm-up run at the beginning

of the first training session of an Olympic season. We run diagonally

through those trees and up to the top. Jessica Ennis is with a group

of athletes. The coach is not planning to go easy on them on

their off-season break. The coach people and the highlight of the

It does not feel any different from other day one. The closer they to

get to the Games, it may feel more important. We are starting a little

bit harder than we have in the past but a thing that is just the

natural progression. Jess is very much the leader. She's up from with

the men, leaving the rest of the wind behind. You get cardiovascular

fitter. We on grass which is a little easier on the joint. A for

six days a week for the next 10 months, training for de Olympics

will be her life. It is quite nice today because the weather is good,

it is warm. But normally it is cold, it is wet and it is rainy. You do

get used to it any do look forward to it in a weird kind of way. You

do feel better one to have done it. Time for some respite from the

uphill sprints. It is a Turk got any to catch the breath but also to

catch up with friends. The subject of how she struggled in the javelin

crops up. Sometimes, I plant a bit like that, a bit too far. I had

that in the back of my mind. Jessica Ennis was a junior champion

of Britain and Europe in the heptathlon. As a senior, she has

gone one better. The girl from the city of steel came to Berlin

hunting for gold and she has done it. In 2009 she became the number

one heptathlete, tracing their opponents at the World

Championships. But last summer she lost her world title. She takes a

big hit on the second hurdle... Despite a mistake in the hurdles he

finished a one in front but the port javelin throw one day to lead

to a silver rather than gold. Hardly a disaster, just not perfect.

Something to work, in training. Back at the hill runs, and she is

still pushing herself and everyone else. Look, here. Cure any cheating

yourself. Training session 1, Day One, is coming to a close. The

mental and physical battle is one she has won before and know she can

win again, even if, right now, warming down since a bit much.

uphill! He are walking, it doesn't matter it is up or down. It is

tiring, but first session is done now, so easing my way back in.

Because deal and pigs are so special, people overdo it and they

get hurt. -- de Olympics are so special. I am conscious that we

keep these things in perspective and it is another year at work.

is a long way after me at the moment. This is the beginning of

the winter so I have a lot of hard work to do. Throughout this

evening's programme, we will return to Jess and Tony. Foot was up, but

the light was too lengthy. pressure mounts as training news on

to fine-tuning technique. Most athletes have their ups and downs

as they prepare for a big competition. But for the world tae

kwon do champion Sarah Stephenson, she has been building up for the

Olympics through the most difficult days of her life. You have to be

tough to do what Sarah Stephenson does. Her sport is a martial art in

which kicks and punches are given to Europe I's head and body. Sarah

was the junior world champion. She got to the semi-finals of the 2000

Olympics and won bronze at the last Olympics. The were happy. We went

out screaming and shouting and telling all the world and what

Sarah had done. In late 2010, Sarah married her coach, Keith Jennings.

Home soil Olympics were on the horizon and times were good. But

all that changed during what Sarah describes as the worst year of her

life. In early 2011, her mum was diagnosed with cancer and, soon

after, her dad was found to have a brain tumour. They were both told

they did not have long to live. Whatever she would achieve at the

London Olympics, they would not be there to see it. But despite

missing training to care for her parents, Serevent to last year's

World tae kwon do Championships, and one. I was saying to myself,

they cannot hurt me, the girls in that ring. If I lose, so what? Are

determined to go there and take it out on the other girls. Go

forward... In late September, we quarter of this air as she launched

her Academy. It is a way to give back the kind of support that she

has recede down the years from coach and family. Her husband is

there to help with the spy ring. timing has to be perfect. By this

time, her father, Roy, had died. Her mum had hoped to come to

Manchester to support Sarah, but she is too real. Instead, her ant

and cousins arrive from Doncaster as a reminder that she is not

aligned. We have just come to give her a bit of support. The problem

with her mum is that she worries more about Sarah. It seems as

though it is never ending now. It is taking its toll and it is really

difficult for me now because it is not only going to lose one Perak,

you're going to lose another one. In December, we quarter were so

rare in a cafe in Doncaster. She is again getting the support she needs

from her aunt and cousins because by now her mother has lost her

fight with cancer. I was put in the Christmas tree up last Saturday and

I was wearing to myself. Tears were streaming down my face. You cannot

help but some time. I have a Olympics and a thing that is why, I

had that big thing, so when that is done, I think will probably be like

her. Mum and dad and not here and I have to a step up now. Do you feel

pressure? A little bit. Don't feel pressured by us. I think pressure

is something you put on yourself. You don't want to lose, you're

warming to do well. Can you imagine, though, if I won in the Olympics,

what you lot would be like! I think I will be a mess. Can we take the

gold medal home with us? Yes. You can take it to show mum and dad.

The 1st January is could be a new year, a new start, we all have to a

focus on the Olympics. When they first got died does, the first

thing they said was you have to get the Olympics and the road for us. I

know that is what they want and what they have always wanted me to

do so I've just got to go and do it now. Still to come, under pressure.

Tony and Jess are fine-tuning her technique but not always agreeing

on the detail. Slight difference of opinion there! And we visit the

computer-game company in Barnsley where the action has already

But first, I went out for a spot of light training with the two best

triathletes in the Brownlee family also happen to be the best in the

world. We run here normally about four times a week. We mountain bike

here as well. They are all sorts of little ups and downs, would tidbits,

Maugham and bits. The Brown the brothers had taken on surely the

hardest one-day sport and may give their own. They have to swim for

about a mile, cycle for 25 and then run for more than six. Last year,

Alastair one or racist become world triathlon champion for the second

time -- won four races. John finished second in the world. As

the brothers have taken on the world they had proudly flown the

Yorkshire flag. I am a proud Yorkshireman. It was great to cross

the line with the flag that no one knows what it is! Do you feel you

are spreading the word of Yorkshire? When I finished that

line in Beijing, and Chinese guy XT took the flak away for examination

to make sure it wasn't some kind of protest group! At least one person

in China now knows what the Yorkshire flight is. Realistically,

have you ever considered moving away from here. Once a nice, once

we have been up on the more and the rain has been really hard.

training is great. We can go to the swimming pool in Leeds and in 10

minutes you are out in the countryside. It is so rare to get

training as good as it is here. Quiet roads, off-road running, but

facilities and friendly people. World domination started here.

Alastair was born in Dewsbury before the family moved to two near

Leeds. The brothers started fell running in the near by a Hills,

showing grit and strength to slog through the mud. Their sporting

development continued at Bradford Grammar thanks to great facilities

and specialist coaches. Here we find a third Brownlee boy. Ed is

also in to his sport and his chosen game requires bulk to go with the

brawn. It has become a normal sort of thing watching my brothers and I

want to do something different. Your little brother is following

not quite the same route, he says triathlon is boring and would be

his Werrity is that. I think rugby is boring! He is different to us.

We tried to get him going but he likes charging up people and

rolling around the ball looking for the bald! Having bought is it that

you do this together? The trading relationship is crucial. Having

someone to go out training with all the time is a real advantage.

coming up on your heels, is that pushing you caught? Yes, it is like

having a friendly prod in the back all the time. Everybody is waiting

for that 100 yards sprint one day when the two of you are nose-to-

nose and nobody knows what will happen. I do not think even we know

what will happen. I like to think I had him over the spring, but we

don't have a clue. At that point, does brotherly love have to take a

back seat? Yes, it is all-out. forget about that and the finishing

line is what matters. Let us hope Back in Sheffield, on day 10 of her

Olympic training, Jess Ennis and coach Toni Miniechello have an

early start. Seeing him stay up there -- sat there with his laptop

open, doing work, that never happens, I am always here before

him. We will arrange to meet at 9:30am, that means to her, 9am! It

is a real standing joke, I am always late, it is Olympic year so

I am going to be on time. After the power or work on the hills, today's

Sheffield Institute of Sport session is about fine-tuning her

technique on the hurdles. Keep your leg tie it all away through. There

is a diminishing return on how much better she can get, you are trying

to find very small margins of consistency of performance, you are

talking about hundreds of the second. Keep it bent. Know. No. As

your leader on comes in, it comes in like this, it does not push it

in that respect. But that definitely felt like my food was

not anywhere. It did! Your for it was up, but the lady is too lengthy

for me. -- at the leg it was too lengthy. I need a few more degrees.

A slight difference of opinion there! The relationship has changed

a lot since she came to him as a shy 11 year-old schoolgirl. She

brings her own expertise to the partnership. I understand the

events a lot more, it has to be more of a discussion. If I am not

agreeing or feelings of than the same way it is good to discuss it.

That didn't look too bad, it started off and then opened up a

bit further. Just keep it tight. You are more concerned they are too

close? Change is difficult. She knows that I am successful if I do

that, now the position is, if we make changes, I might not be

successful. As a coach, you have to overcome that and say there is a

benefit to this. Another tough session comes to an end. Toni and

just go their separate ways for now, but when we next see them together,

it is time for the javelin. And can the physiotherapist Alison prevent

her aches and pains becoming injuries that could threaten her

Olympics? Computer games have come a long way

since the 1980s. Though my ability to play them clearly has not!

Accompany in Barnsley has helped to create the computerised version of

this year's Olympics, and they are not the only Yorkshire business to

benefit from the London 2012. Exciting times here as we approach

the start of this event. Good rhythm as he goes down the

straight! What a finish to this race, and that will be a medal!

this office, the commentary is being recorded for the official 20

told computer-game. John Sanderson's production team is

working in ground-breaking way, every possible outcome has its own

possibly -- commentary, improvised as it goes on. It is a huge

undertaking because what you will feel, you are being commentated on.

There really are some good athlete that could all take a medal here.

Brilliant, really good, I am happy with that. You get this feeling off,

it is going to be here soon, and to have a small role to play in that,

even if it is just on the game is great. I am excited about that.

John is from Dronfield near Sheffield, and started out as a

music teacher. By MS -- many twists and turns, and now owns a studio

which specialises in computer game and animation music. The music for

the sake get computer game could be a breakthrough. My company is a

small company, and the Olympics is one of the biggest world events you

can be hope to -- you can hope to be part of. I did not get any

tickets for the Olympics, but this is a way that we can show what we

are capable of. John's company is not the only Yorkshire business set

to benefit from the Games. More than 200 contracts worth more than

�73 million have been won by Yorkshire firms. 30 teams from 12

countries will be based in Yorkshire for pre-Games training,

and they will generate at least �3 million for the Yorkshire economy.

Back in Barnsley, as put our athletes, their team has worked to

strict targets and deadlines. They are putting the final polish on the

commentary and the game will be launched shortly before the real

Games in July. Yorkshire has already achieved one of its biggest

goals, let's hope it has more While many of our athletes are

heading to London in pursuit of gold, four others, it will be a

battle just to qualify. Pushing 50, Farrel Anthony from Sheffield has

come out of retirement for one last shot at Paralympic glory. This is

the British Open Table Tennis Championship. I call it the

Sheffield open, because I am from Sheffield. It makes it more

personal to me, and that gives me a bit more drive and impetus to do

well. The British Open in Sheffield is not just about local pride for

Farrel, it is about local -- vital qualifying points for their London

Paralympics. Whether he is paying or not, he is in almost constant

pain. He was born with cerebral palsy. He explains that why he and

other Paralympian such all face challenges, they have no sympathy

in competition. It is ruthless. If you know someone has problems

moving in one way or another, you exploit that, because if you don't,

you will lose. They will play where it hurts every single time. If you

can't deal with that, don't play. Farrell -- Farrel loses his last

group match, and it is the end of his opener but the start of his

quest to qualify for the Paralympic Games. You want to have a go?

Sunday afternoon and he is at his local supermarket, earning money by

playing friendly matches against customers. He is having to pay his

own way to the qualifiers. He represented Great Britain in the

Sydney Games at 2000, but stopped competing because of work. On his

comeback, you he is no longer funded. He has to raise �4,000 to

enter a ranking tournament in Taiwan, Argentina and South Korea.

A couple of bombs left, and hopefully my name will be in a

qualifying position at the end of December. Even though I am a golden

So Farrel set off around the world and the pressure is on. He has

three tournaments left to win enough points to qualify for London

2012. In October, he finishes second at the Taiwan open and picks

up a silver medal. It is a strong start. In late November, he moves

on to South Korea. In my first match today, it is at 4pm, see how

I go, I am feeling really good. Give the ball a kick and see how

far it goes. In a group match, it is a chance against -- a chance for

revenge against that player that beat him in para 1. Victory is

sweet, you can see how much it means. I beat the No. 1 and No. 2

seed in Korea. Last leg of my 22 roger League Two qualify for London

2012. -- my 2012 journey. The next day, he is in Argentina and has

travelled 30,000 miles. He has done it on his own. He is tired and it

has become too much. It is the final day of the Argentinian Open.

I am not taking part, unfortunately, my journey has come to an end. I am

disappointed that I have not qualified for the 2012 games.

Farrel has given it everything, but he, like most athletes who try,

will not be competing in London. think very few -- if you have a

chance and it is your dream, you have to follow it to the end. Even

if it is just the slimmest chance. You have to stop -- still try. You

have to say, I gave it my best shot. It is 7am, and coach Toni

Miniechello is on his way to Leeds met University. Whilst most of Jess

Ennis's coaching takes place in Sedgefield, they head north for

javelin training and physiotherapy. It is some great craft. That pushed

the sessions on, she is working well. Was there to complement?

was! That was a compliment! Go and have a walk, see how it feels.

Ennis is in the hands of physiotherapist Alison Rose. Just

from the way she is walking, she had detected a problem but even

Jessica herself cannot feel. It is coming out of the left hip.

discomfort Jessica is feeling in her leg is actually being caught

further up in her hip. She has found the true source of the

problem and so she can treat the strain before it becomes the injury.

Pop on your right side. Our! It is incredibly tight, then she screams

and you are no you on the right spot. There has got a lot more

attention than they should be, the hip will not move the way it should.

It affects the way you walk and run. Alison's massage has loosened

Jessica's hit and a potential problem has been avoided. Now for

more training. Javelin is the events that she has always

struggled with the most. At last summer's world championship, a poor

throw put paid to her chances of gold. That has put a huge

determination on her to put it right. Her coach is a former

Commonwealth, European and world medallist. Was it that, all that,

it is minute, it is about this much body lean. Very, very good! Nice.

Jessica is on fire as she puts all the technical pieces into place.

That is a lot better, that is good. I need to keep practising and

drilling and hope it comes Wyllie naturally. It is great to have

sessions like this. It has been a real breakthrough, and she has

consistently thrown at long. If we have reasonable throws, it is good

for confidence, it can also supply a confident if you think it is far

and it is not. 50 metres! But it is confidential! She would not tell us

the exact distance, but she has thrown constant -- comfortably over

40 metres and close to her competition-best. A big step

forward from the world championships. I think her

confidence took a knock there, having not thrown well. There is a

bit more belief now and she knows how to fix herself. Today, she

matched power with timing and technique. Another fraction of

improvement has been made. Like one more he will run when the legs say

no. It week to the angle of a trailing leg, or a tight Nestle

treated before its tears. -- muscle. Small changes that make a big

difference, perhaps the team silver and gold. It is a massive Olympic

year, everyone is training hard and fighting for that gold medal.

This is probably becoming quite a familiar fight. -- site. Jessica

Ennis will not win his -- visit the Olympic stadium until she competes.

She wants it to be fresh and new. But it is here that the final

chapter of all of our athletes's Jenny's will be written. Can Jess