Episode 6 Queen's Baton Relay

Five months ago an epic journey began.

From Buckingham Palace, the Queen's Baton Relay

set out on a voyage around the Commonwealth.

To visit 70 nations and territories,

in the build-up to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer.

Absolutely wonderful. Brings all the Commonwealth together.

Following the baton is adventurer Mark Beaumont.

Along the way, he will meet the next generation of athletes

I want to make a name for South African gymnastics,

Experience the incredible sights and sounds

that make up the modern Commonwealth.

And encounter just a few of the 2.2 billion people who call it home.

All connected by the Queen's Baton Relay.

This leg of the relay covers a huge distance.

From the majestic landscapes of Africa.

athletes are preparing for the Games in Glasgow this summer.

From reigning champions to underdogs, each of them

And now their stories are inspiring a new generation to embrace sport.

The first country on this part of the journey is Botswana.

A nation that is just beginning to realise its sporting potential.

In 2010, Botswana caused a stir when it picked up gold, silver

and bronze medals at the last Commonwealth Games.

And two years later, 19-year-old Nijel Amos shocked the world when

he came from nowhere to win silver at the 800m in the London Olympics.

Getting your fastest time tattooed on your arm,

Nijel's astonishing performance at the Olympic Games

has earned him celebrity status in Botswana.

And his success is having a huge impact on the country's youth.

It's inspired lots of people, lots of youths,

Because he was young, like, June 2012 he was 19.

So it's inspired lots of us to work hard.

We can see that age doesn't really matter.

But for now, Nijel is focusing on just one thing.

From Botswana, the baton made a short stop

in Mauritius before continuing its journey to Mozambique.

Where a completely different kind of sport is changing lives.

For decades, skateboarding in Mozambique was nothing more

But in recent years, as skateboards have slowly become cheaper,

young people all over the capital city of Maputo have started

Yeah, I started skating in 2009 with my friend and my brother.

we started skating and then I couldn't just stop skating.

Some years I had some difficulty to get some skateboards,

but I still had the feeling. So, yeah, man.

Nearly 50% of Mozambique's population is under 18.

so have groups like Projecto Radical, which provide young people

with a place to meet and skills which go way beyond the skatepark.

Besides skateboarding we also teach them photography, filming, graffiti.

Because skateboarding is not just a sport, it's also an art.

In the last four, five years since you've been skating,

how have you seen the whole community change in Mozambique?

Now I see some people that show some feeling for that.

Somehow I can call it love or whatever.

But I can see some people that are taking it seriously.

That's what I like. May the skateboard remain, here in Maputo.

The kids here make even the most complicated tricks look easy.

If this ever became a Commonwealth Games event,

Mozambique wouldn't be short of talent.

they won't have anything to worry about.

Skating has changed the lives of these young people in Mozambique.

And in the tiny landlocked country of Lesotho, it's the landscape

that is helping to develop a whole new generation of superstars.

These guys are absolutely flying. They've already done miles.

And the terrain here, not just is it hugely rolling, but it's high.

The whole of Lesotho is on a plateau with big mountain ranges.

Perfect for altitude training for these marathon runners.

who are the heroes, who are the real stars?

We do have Mamorallo Tjoka, she is called the Queen of Soweto Marathon,

which means she won it more than five times.

Marathon runner Mamorallo Tjoka has been running in these

After competing in the London and Beijing Olympics,

And the key to her success is altitude.

TRANSLATION: I think we have advantage

in our country and when we train there we use a lot of power.

So when we get to a level ground I don't have to use

With the entire country over 1,000 metres above sea level,

Lesotho is harnessing its terrain to drive athletic excellence.

And the growing success of its marathon runners means

the country is now beginning to pitch itself as a world-class

You know it has been there for a long time,

but we have never taken advantage of it.

It is now that we are beginning to realise that this can be

Because running basically is business now,

because it helps countries to grow or to improve their economies.

Like, look at Kenya, look at Ethiopia.

are already putting their own country on the map.

And her success is inspiring a new generation of female athletes.

Mamorallo is helping younger runners.

Once they see her running, many more female runners want to be like her.

Like now, we have in the mountains near the place where

she was born, there are so many girls who are very good runners.

And we have just got sponsorship to go up there

and assist those young runners with running gear

because they run barefoot, they don't have any training gear.

So this sponsorship will help us get them some attire.

This year will be the first time Mamorallo has been to Scotland

since coming second at the Edinburgh Marathon in 2013.

And the prospect of running in a considerably cooler climate

TRANSLATION: I don't get any problems because my body's very fit.

And because of that I can run anywhere, either cold or hot.

It doesn't matter, my body's strong enough to bear the temperature.

Have you had a chance to look at the marathon route in Glasgow,

Usually what I do is never look at the route

because sometimes it gets me stressed out.

I think I run better when I haven't checked it out,

But Mamorallo isn't the only athlete in this part of Africa

Across the border lies one of the strongest sporting nations

Covering half a million square miles,

this vast country is a Commonwealth Games giant.

South Africa has taken part in every competition -

at the last games, winning gold medals in athletics,

one young athlete dreams of adding her event to that list

17-year-old Kirsten Beckett has been training since she was five.

Now she is one of the best South African gymnasts

and an inspiration to the younger kids she trains with.

Well, I train six days a week, about four hours a day.

During those four hours, strength is definitely a huge part in it,

cos without strength I don't think you would be able to be a gymnast.

So we spend a lot of time on strength work, flexibility,

definitely, stamina, as well, is very important.

There's a lot of girls here aged five, six, seven,

When do you need to start taking it more seriously?

You should start taking gymnastics more seriously

when you're about the age of 11 or 12,

and you start to hit your peaking stage.

That is so much younger than almost any other sport I can imagine.

What was that like the when you had to start dedicating

I think, for me, when I was younger, it was all fun,

I did it because I loved it and I wanted to come every day.

But to get to the top it's not just training that matters.

having a supportive family is essential.

because I mean we basically had to change our eating.

Money was ridiculous, because there's a cost for everything -

And also the dedication that she had to put in.

We had to alter our lives so that we could actually get her here.

But you know what? It's all worth it.

South Africa may not be known for its gymnastics,

but Kirsten's coach believes that this year's Games

present a unique opportunity for her team.

For us, the Commonwealth Games is a really big, important competition,

because there's the top three countries,

who are tough to beat, but not impossible to beat.

So in the Commonwealth we can make the top ten,

and possibly top six and, like I say, we can win medals.

So it's a realistic goal for us to have.

I want to make a name for South African gymnastics, you know,

And obviously this year I want to make the Commonwealth Games,

and hopefully medal, and I want to win the African Champs.

At 17, Kirsten is already a seasoned professional

And, like other athletes her age, the Commonwealth Games

give her a real chance to shine on the world stage.

From Cape Town, the baton sets sail for its next destination...

..the tiny Atlantic island of St Helena.

It's a 2,000-mile journey, and there's only one way to get there.

This is one of the last Royal Mail ships in existence.

For the past 25 years, the RMS St Helena has been

the island's only link to the outside world.

It's the only way that people can get onto and off St Helena.

As well as that, it's also the only way that goods and services

In other words, if we don't carry it, they don't have it.

For the passengers on this five-day sea voyage,

the journey is a chance to relax and enjoy the view.

In two years' time, the island is due to open its first airport...

will make this journey for the last time.

With a population of less than 4,000 people,

St Helena is the kind of place where everybody knows each other.

And, when every journey off the island involves a long boat trip,

opportunities to compete in other countries are few and far between.

One of those competitors is 19-year-old Maddie Andrews,

who hopes to represent St Helena at the Games this year.

Because I've only been off the island once,

and that was to Ascension with the New Horizons team,

I kind of want to see what's out there and see competition.

If I go out in the bigger world, to the Commonwealth Games,

and be able to see what they do and how they do it.

When you haven't been off the island,

you don't know what goes on, what equipment they've got,

So trying to get them up to speed here

I think it is quite good and I think they'll be ready.

For athletes like Maddie, the Games present a fantastic opportunity

to compete with teams from around the world.

Overcoming huge distances is a challenge shared

including the next destination on the relay.

On the other side of the Atlantic lie the Falkland Islands.

A group of 778 islands, less than a thousand miles

the Falklands have recently experienced a surge in tourism.

Huge cruise ships bring visitors eager to catch a glimpse

of the islands' most famous residents.

Each summer, up to a million penguins come to nest

on these islands which means that at their peak they outnumber

the human residents by over 300 to 1.

But these islands are gearing up for something huge.

Because for this small territory, the Commonwealth Games is by far

the biggest event on the sporting calendar.

People get to join with other Commonwealth countries

and really put their best foot forward for the islands.

I think it's wonderful, absolutely wonderful -

brings all the Commonwealth together.

And no-one's preparing harder than the coach and captain

of the national badminton team, Doug Clark.

What a spot! Right in the middle of Port Stanley. It is, yeah.

So, how long have you been here? Just over 30 years.

Have you seen life on the island change much?

Yeah, I have, it's changed quite dramatically

since when I first got here, it's grown quite a lot.

You say that, but it's still a pretty small population.

where we're going to be playing, holds twice as many as that.

So you could take twice the population of the Falklands

and not even fill the stadium! Why is badminton so popular here?

I think it's due to being the oldest club in the Falklands,

and it's something you can play all year round.

Considering this is still the middle of summer for you,

I can see why you want to do some of your sports inside.

Yeah, we don't play out in the garden too much!

Stanley Badminton Club has been running for over 60 years,

and today it's more popular than ever.

BREATHLESSLY: First ever game of badminton.

They call it the fastest racket game in the world, and you can see why.

Bit of practice? Yeah, you'll be fine.

Badminton is the biggest sport on the islands.

finding other teams to play against is a real challenge.

Which is why they've called on a secret weapon.

Rebecca Pantenay is an English gold medallist

who's been volunteering to coach the team for the past seven years.

The Commonwealth will be the pinnacle that they can play at,

it will be the top, it's where they'll see the top players,

the English, the Malaysians, and to be honest

then that will be a different world for them to see.

So, yeah, it's the stepping stones within the sort of

Island Games, Commonwealth Youth that we build them up.

And who will you be cheering for at Glasgow? Falklands.

No, I mean, I know a lot of the people in the UK,

I know a lot of the coaches, I'll still work with some of them,

but I'll be there with the Falkland guys and, yeah,

I'll be proud to be there for them.

This will be a huge year for the Falkland Islands

and, as a British territory, the Commonwealth Games gives

these players a unique chance to compete in their own right.

Because we're so small, we try and stand out the most,

"Quite far away, but we're still here!"

From the windswept hills of the Falklands

the baton heads north to begin a whole new leg of the relay.

After a brief visit to Guyana, the next country

Barbados is the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands,

and home to a quarter of a million people.

And for the relay, it's the start of a whole new world

This is some of the Barbados Rugby Sevens team.

they were not going to the Commonwealth Games,

but they've been called up last minute

So, now they've got a real race to get ready in time

because they'll be facing some of the toughest teams in the world.

They have come a long way since Barbados placed last

at the Caribbean Championships a few years ago.

But this team of amateurs are now preparing

And, to help them, they've created their own backyard gym.

Not a chance! It seems every time. You're fast!

And that's under the midday Caribbean sun. What a place to train.

Exactly. Tyres, rope, simple. Get speed training in easily.

And this is how you do your training off the pitch?

and we use everyday, simple stuff and we get the resistance we need.

this team are definitely considered underdogs.

And, to many, facing up to the reigning champions,

New Zealand, might be a daunting prospect.

But for the players here it's the opportunity of a lifetime.

It's a big, big thing to see your idols,

watching them from a youth coming up into a bit of manhood.

And to step on the field and actually

have them teach you something, it's a big, big thing.

We joke around, you know, as a child you want to be like someone,

you look up to somebody, and now we have to come back into ourselves

and say I'm going to be myself and put my best foot forward

to play against who I looked up to, you know?

The team going to Glasgow will be a mixture of local players

And their coach, Joe Whipple, is relishing the challenge

of facing the biggest teams in the world.

A very serious question - are you going there expecting to win matches?

I never go into a game thinking I'm not going to have an opportunity.

to come up with some ways to play various teams.

And I've seen a bunch of tape on New Zealand,

and if you asked their coach, you know, did they play

the perfect game in the last tournament? No, they didn't.

There were some holes, there were some holes on defence,

so, you know, our expectation - I'd be very disappointed

if we don't get out there and get a couple of wins, sure.

With each training session, this team are pushing harder and further,

and it's hoped that their performance in Glasgow

will inspire a new generation of Barbadians to take up the sport.

Heading to the Commonwealth was not even in my dream.

But through improving myself I've really gotten into rugby,

I really realised a lot of things I didn't have planned.

So this is the icing on the cake for me.

the baton has travelled through ten countries -

from Africa, through the islands of the South Atlantic,

and on to South America and the Caribbean.

The final country in this part of the relay is Grenada...

..where a young athlete is beginning to make waves.

and has been swimming competitively since she was five.

Three years ago she was diagnosed with bone cancer in her left femur,

and underwent an operation to remove part of her leg.

about becoming Grenada's first ever para-athlete.

Is swimming different now after the operation than before the operation?

I mean she uses swimming also as therapy

she needs to strengthen, do some work on her right leg

And swimming has been like a lifeline to her, you know,

Nye is a rising star in a country that does not have

Without one, she is unable to apply to compete

in the Commonwealth Games or the Olympics.

But all that could be about to change,

because now there are plans to create

the nation's first Para-sports committee.

What opportunities do you think that Nye

and other athletes like her will have?

I think it would be glad for them to have something

to look forward to, and this is the most important thing.

Even though some of them who do different sports,

they've probably been just doing it just for the love of it.

Now they have something to look forward to,

And Nye - I'm not worried about Nye working harder.

She loves the sport and she loves to work.

What's it been like as a coach taking Nye from a youngster

through her illness and operation to continuing training?

It was a bit of an experience for me.

I mean, she's been here with all limbs,

and then while she was going through the operation at home,

she was saying, "Listen, when I come out of here I'm going to swim."

And when I heard that, then I started preparing,

preparing mentally for it, and I think it was not much.

When she got back here it didn't make much of a difference,

because I was already prepared for her and having her back in the pool.

Nye dreams of one day competing in world-class events

Her ultimate goal is to become a doctor.

What's the reason you want to be a doctor?

Is that because of how much you've been helped by doctors?

For her grandparents, Nye's ability to overcome her illness

is an overwhelmingly positive message in a country

that is only now recognising the potential of athletes like her.

It will be good for, you know, Grenada, other people,

other children who may have disabilities.

you know, there's nothing you cannot do.

And, yeah, I would like to see it, even if she has to be

for others to follow would be good, would be great.

Join Mark next time as the relay continues

on its journey around the Commonwealth

and through the island nations of the Caribbean,

where athletes are pointing towards the future

I want to become the world's fastest man!

Islands and people - all united by the Queen's Baton Relay.

Hello, I'm Riz Lateef with your 90 second update.

Objects - including this one - have been spotted during the hunt for the

missing plane. It comes after the search