Episode 6 Inspire: The Olympic Journey

Life is rarely straightforward. To progress, we have to adapt and grow.

This month we have come to a city that has done just that, it has

emerged from difficult times to flourish once again. In the summer,

and new chapter will be written as the Commonwealth comes to Glasgow.

Today we will follow some of the amazing athletes who will make that

journey, like the city itself, they have adapted and changed to perceive

their goals, and their journeys have taken them in some and expect the

directions. This is the Tollcross International swimming Centre, one

of the venues for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next summer. It is

more than a swimming pool. The whole community has enjoyed this facility.

Olympic silver medallist Michael Jamieson learn to swim here and it

is a place that is still dear to his heart. It has been a long time since

I have been back swimming in Tollcross where I'm excited to see

how it looks now. Also coming up on Inspire: The Olympic Journey, Steve

Cram travels to the newest Commonwealth country, Rwanda, to see

how cycling is creating new sporting heroes and new hope. We are Team

Rwanda. We hear of Hannah Cockcroft's incredible determination

to become a double Paralympic champion. You always get told there

are things you cannot do and I like to show people that you cannot tell

me that I cannot do something, because I will prove you wrong. And

we want you to get inspired and try out a new sport like swimming or

cycling. Go to our website to find a club near you. ?14 million has been

spent on preparing Tollcross for the Commonwealth games, but for Michael

Jamieson, it is still his local swimming pool. It did not look like

this when little Michael first learned to swim? Not at all. It has

had a full refund. It looks great. It is great for the city to have a

venue like this. What was it like when you got the bug for swimming

and you decided that you wanted to be competitive? When I first moved

in -- when I first moved in here, this was my first moved to a next

swimming club. I loved that social aspect. So many swimmers, guys and

girls you run age, training and enjoying it together, pushing

yourself to improve. When you trained as a young kid, how hard did

you push yourself? You have to be able to switch off, your mind and

your muscles, because it is telling you to stop. That is how you

improve. You swim faster by breaking down muscle and rebuilding it so it

comes back stronger. For me, the aim of the game as a youngster was to

break myself down as much as possible. Did you never feel at that

time, the alarm has gone off at five o'clock, I do not want to go, I want

to stay in bed? Was it always in you? Not at all. I think it is the

same with everyone. At that age, I was thinking about the bigger

picture and the possibility of going to an Olympic Games. At the age of

11, you write down in no uncertain terms your goals and aims? Yes, that

has been quite strange about this whole experience. I actually wrote

down a time that I thought would win an Olympic medal in 2012, which is

when I thought I would yet my peak as an athlete. I was pretty much

spot on. It is bizarre. It is of plastic silver medal for Michael

Jamieson that is brilliant. I always had an idea of how hard I would have

to work to get there. Things like balancing school life when I was

younger, I loved it, because I was living as an athlete. Heading into

that Olympic year, how much of that 11-year-old was still there, and

still had that in mind? Because of the journey I took to get there, I

loved the whole experience. It was great to have my friends and family

they are supporting. There was one moment on the podium, receiving my

medal, and I looked over to see everyone, and they were all in

tears. I had to look away to make sure I kept it together. That being

London was the culmination of a long journey for Michael's whole family.

For his mum and dad who had supported him through years of hard

work, it was a moment to savour. I closed my eyes when he touched. I do

remember looking and really trying to focus on the results on the

board. It takes a couple of minutes for the information to filter, and

then euphoria. My goodness, he has done it. I want to know more about

Michael the little boy. When he started swimming, he was resistant

to the water to start with? Yes, when we signed him up for the first

block of six-week lessons, at our local swimming pool, he would not go

in the water because it was too cold. The first week, he did not

want to go into the water, but on the way home, he assured me that he

would definitely going the following week. This went on for three weeks.

In the fourth week, I said, this is your last chance, I am not taking

you back. For some reason, he went in and really took to it. When did

US patents concede that you had something special on your hands? I

think his competitive nature showed from an early age. Even as early as

four. We used to play football in the whole. We would try and pass it

I can forward without touching the wall. We started off, we could only

get three passes, but he would try and try again. He always wanted to

improve. Another big change must have been when he left to go to

Paris. His coach has moved -- his coach had moved out there and he

decided to go with him. You decided to follow him? Yes, it was an

eye-opener. The accommodation could have been better. It was no more

than his wingspan, because he could touch both walls with his hands. It

was no more than 12 feet. You do not want to forget anything? We knew it

was going to be tough. But to give you an insight into what Michael is

likened his determination, that evening, we had spoken about staying

there. I said to him, you cannot stay here. You will need to come

home. He said, dad, I'm going to my bed, I am up in the morning and I am

going to training. You must have been so tried to think that this is

the man I brought up? People often say that. I am proud of the

decisions he has made, the difficult decisions, the mental toughness he

has shown to come through certain situations. I am more proud of the

man he has become, not just the athlete. Michael will be one of the

faces of the Commonwealth games. Expectation will be-is a carrying

the hopes of a nation, some crack under the pressure. Others relish

the challenge. The Rwandan cycling team fall into the latter category.

Steve Cram has been to see how cycling is bringing a nation

together. We are Team Rwanda. In 1994, this country was torn apart by

genocide that killed over 1 million people. Since then it has gone

through massive transformation and I have come here to see an event which

encapsulates that recovery, that recovery that Rwanda has seen in the

last 20 years. It is a cycling race that has become a focus for a

country, a team that has emerged from one of the worst chap who's in

human history and is now providing hope, inspiration, a future. 200

people come to watch me. Everything you want to do, you have it in your

heart and you can change your life. The Tour of Rwanda began in 1989 and

has become one of the best races in Africa. From the teams then, to 16

now. Cyclists come from around the world to take part. At its heart is

a group of riders his place in the peloton would have been almost

unthinkable a few short years ago. Around 300 million people will watch

the tour over its eight kilometre journey. -- 3 million people. The

biggest cheers will be reserved for Team Rwanda. I am near the finish

line and the prizes are being given out. I was not sure of what to

expect. It's sort of looked chaotic, but it was really well

organised. You can see that these people really, really want their

guys to do well in this sport. They came out in their thousands,

villages, towns, the odd child standing by the side of the road. It

was fantastic. Watching the tour ahead from the capital, Kigali, into

the countryside and seeing how people responded to the cyclist was

inspiring. Particularly when I thought back to the events of 1994.

20 kilometres from the finish line was a powerful reminder. 25,000

Tutsis came here seeking sanctuary, but one April night it became

anything but. The morning was when the attack.

-- they attacked. Did anyone survive?

The thing I am struggling with a little bit, is that the country has

come out of that so quickly, and people seem to have moved on from it

so quickly? My visit to the skill in Murambi

left a lasting impression. What happened there was shocking and the

number of April who died unbelievable. At the same time, I

heard the powerful message of a country trying to move forward. --

school. Being at this sport event which is of is that having such an

impact, and one hour later you're wandering around the site of the

terrible atrocity. It is hard to keep your emotions in check. They

are proud of their country, they are proud to be Rwandan. They want to

see the flag flying, they want to see people wearing their shirt at

the Olympic Commonwealth games, and they want to see a better image of

the country, not one that Hank is back to 1994 and what happened then.

-- and not one that goes back to 1994. They have moved on and they

want us to move on as well. Cycling is nothing new. Every where you

live, there are bikes. But until 2007, there was no racing. The idea

of cycling as a sport did not exist. It took an American charity bringing

mountain bikes to Coffey farmers to do something ground-breaking. --

coffee. What has been achieved here has never been seen before. How can

a country that has never been involved in cycling have the best

race in Africa? The culture of cycling has only been in the last

couple of years. It has not been easy. Creating a team from scratch

in a country still coming to terms with its past and with no -- and

with no history of sporting achievement has meant real

challenges. We have about 20 minutes before the start of the race. Rather

touchingly, they are having a nice team photo. I am not sure if people

would be expecting them to be more stressed out, warming up, getting

ready to race. I wish I was like this when I was racing. And going to

get the traffic moving. -- I'm going.

We are heading to see Adrian, one of the original members of the Team

Rwanda cycling team. His name picture is all over billboards

around here. He is a local hero. Adrian is Team Rwanda's success

story. He writes for the best team in South Africa, MTM. During the

genocide, five of his brothers and his sister were killed. The bike has

changed his life. This is an inspiration for a lot of people in

Rwanda because today, when we finished this stage, a lot of people

came up and said, well done, we're big fans, we like what you have

done. It is a great inspiration. Adrian opened the door for

everybody. In all blossoming sports, you have to have a hero. He is the

best writer in Rwanda. Everyone knows about the Rwandan

genocide. A lot of people say that Rwanda is still not good. If you

have been here, it is kind of amazing. Adrian was the first, an

inspiration, and he has shown how Team Rwanda is not just about the

bike. None of the cyclists are rich but they are paid a monthly salary

and many have managed to buy a house. It is a massive achievement

here. Becoming a cyclist is now a profession. Cycling is a job like

any other. It can change your life. Many people know that cycling can

change life. Here comes the main peloton. It is a

brutal race. A real bone shaking section. If we go back to 1994, a

bike meant you might escape the genocide. You come back after the

genocide, if you had a bike, you could transport people, and you have

an income. Now you have a whole generation looking at cycling to be

able to succeed. It is putting people together that would have been

enemies during the genocide. Our team is all Rwandan and it consists

of people from all regions, from all different areas, and they have to

work together for it to succeed. Long ago in Rwanda, there was only

six riders. Now there are many. You think cycling is helping people

to forget what happened? This has been a real eye-opener for

me. The amount of people out here supporting has been incredible. They

obviously love this sport. Although they have not got a winner to cheer

today, I think they will in the future. For the time being, it is

Adrian with the rest of the Rwandan cyclists are having to chase.

-- who the rest. As my time here grew to a -- drew to a close, I was

struck by something Nelson Mandela once said. Sport can create hope for

once there was only despair. It is not a grandiose statement. It is not

difficult to see how this team embodies the pride and hope of a

nation whose progress in such a short space of time is in itself

remarkable. If you have been inspired by the

amazing feats of the Rwandan cycling team and want to get more involved,

visit our website for information on where to find your nearest sports

club. We have just seen how sport can change peoples lives and bring

communities together. Glasgow was going to experience something very

special with the Commonwealth Games but it is interesting to see what it

can do to the City. What you think the Commonwealth Games will do for

Glasgow? I think we have already seen the benefits. This side of the

has been transformed with the new venues and the athletes and

accommodation that will be used during the games. Generally, there

was so much momentum created around the Olympics in London, creating

that legacy and making it a lasting legacy, with the Commonwealth Games

so soon after that, it is a real opportunity to capitalise on that.

And in terms of the health benefits, is it happening? Will it help to

push people on? I certainly think so. Swimming is well, it has

arguably better health benefits than others. It is not a weight-bearing

sport so it is maybe easier to get into if you are just looking to

kick-start a healthy lifestyle. No rest for the wicked. What is

today's session? Just an easy one. I will only swim about three

kilometres. Is that all(!) It is an easy afternoon, a bit of physio.

Michael's success has put Tollcross on the map. The next step is to get

more local kids swimming and on our future stars. But the key to

sporting success is really raw talent. Often, it is about how you

respond to adversity. For Hannah Cockroft, that journey started at

birth and everything since has been testament to her determination and

desire to get faster and faster. Just being out there it gives you a

sense of freedom. All of it. -- I love it. Nowhere else has such a

beautiful surrounding. It is one of those places, I would never go

walking up there, but I can go brawling and enjoy it like everyone

else. That is the place I fell in love with wheelchair racing. I am in

21 and I am in double Paralympic, 24 times record rigour, and double

world junior champion. She was premature, so she was in a hurry to

be born. She ended up having two heart attacks within a week. And

that cost a lot of difficulties from then on. They said she would not

speak or go to mainstream school. They did not give her a lot of time

because they did not know how much damage was there. She was a miracle

baby and she should not have lived. As a disabled person, you get told

that there are things you cannot do. I have always been a person who

hates that. Like to show people that actually you cannot tell me that I

cannot do something goes I'm going to prove you wrong. She does not

like you to say no. If you say no, she will find a way around it to do

what ever it is she was told she could not do. She was told she could

not dance but she wanted to be a ballerina. The one thing she will

never be able to do. There were no schools that would take me, and my

mum and dad searched every school and eventually found me a ballet

school. I've learned to dance for 13 years. Without that upbringing and

support, I guess I've would be a different person, sitting in your

room and not believing in dreams. People have always seen that I have

a hunger and that I'm going to prove people wrong. When I am on the

track, I'm a different person. In everyday life, I am loud and bubbly

and in-your-face but on the track, I am very quiet and get my head down

and they know what want to do. Out there, I am nobody's friend.

Hannah's journey started in 2007 when she first tried wheelchair

racing. Five years later, she was ready for the Paralympics. Remember

being on the line and that was some butterflies around, but as soon as

they read your name, your focus. And as soon as you cross the line, my

whole body just felt numb. I could not equate the athlete that was down

there on the track with my daughter. It was not until afterwards.

Basically, a dream come true in 18 .05 seconds.

It has been announced that I will race the 100 metres and 800 metres

instead of 100 metres and 200 metres, so any to start working on

my 800 metres. I'll hold the world record but any to get under two

minutes to dream of getting a decent gold medal. Hannah's list of

achievements is incredible for her age. Termination, focus and hard

work both ways she is today but she could not have done it on her own.

She has had a lot of support around her, physiotherapists and doctors

and lots of equipment. My parents are incredibly supportive. Without

them, I would be in a wheelchair constantly and I want to succeed,

just to give them something back for all the sacrifices they have made

for me. Athletics is one thing that you cannot do on your own. It might

be an individual support but at the end of the day, it is a team game.

For athletes like Hannah Cockroft and Michael Jamieson, their families

have provided so much love and support. It is warming to see how

much that is appreciated by their children.

How did that go? I know you said it was easy but it looks tough. I'm

taking full advantage of the Christmas period. I have a few easy

days, so that was not so strenuous. I will take your word for it. A few

weeks ago, there was a story which sounded very dramatic, but your

heart. How is that? Back to normal. It was a strange situation. I was

doing a maximum effort circuit session, which is completely normal,

and manage to get my heart rate up to 202 beats per minute, about ten

beats higher than my formal maximum. It pushed my heart into an irregular

rhythm. But the medical staff were brilliant and I was in and out of

the hospital in 24 hours. Back to normal? Completely. Well, you are

not normal, superhuman! Great to see you. Good luck in the build-up to

Glasgow. Enjoy it. Take care. This summer, Michael's story will

come full circle, from the cautious 5-year-old learning to swim to the

Scottish Euro determined to give Glasgow something to cheer about. --

Scottish hero. The will and determination to prove the doctors

wrong has driven Hannah Cockroft's success on the track. She will never

give up. We have witnessed sport's healing powers in Rwanda. Cycling

cannot rebuild the country but it is helping to bring pride back to the

people and that is so important. When you think of what our athletes

have overcome, you cannot help but feel inspired. Would you like to get

involved in sport? Click on the link to find out how. We will be back in

January with more inspiring stories, with the Winter Olympics

and the football World Cup, and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. There

is plenty of sports to inspire us all in 2014. See you next time.

Bye-bye.