Athletes inspired by National Parks
Celebrating our winning landscapes
Inspired by the Peak District
Sebastian Coe
Sport: Athletics
Born in 1956, Sebastian Coe was one of Britain's best-known athletes of the 1980s - and now is better known as the man organising London 2012.
He began his running career with the Hallamshire Harriers – a South Yorkshire running club - and regularly ran in the Peak District, a landscape that he inspired him to great running feats.
He has said that training around Chatsworth ahead of his world record breaking spree in 1979 helped to build his endurance. He added: "The Peak District to me is the ultimate delight [for running] and my family home [is] in Sheffield, just on the edge of the peaks. In the summer it is lovely and in the winter it's pure Wagner - very bleak, a bit bare at times. It is a lovely area to hide away in."
At the peak of his career Sebastian Coe, now Lord Coe, won Olympic gold medals in the 1,500 metres at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
More information
Sporting hero: www.bbc.co.uk/sport/coe
Inspired by the Peak District
Jessica Ennis
Sport: Athletics
Golden girl Jessica Ennis is Britain's first world heptathlon champion and she lived up to expectations during the London 2012 games winning gold and thrilling the Olympic crowds.
Born in 1986, she loved to run from an early age, racing round her grandparents’ Peak District garden in Castleton, Derbyshire.
When she started competing for the Sheffield Athletics Club her grandfather, Rod Powell, would give her £5 every time she did a personal best!
Jessica is now the current European and former world heptathlon champion (2009) and the world indoor pentathlon champion (2010).
Her home city of Sheffield welcomed her home with a parade and a golden postbox in the city centre stands testament to her achievement.
More information
Did you know?
- Heptathlons take place over two days, with competitors taking part in seven disciplines – the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m, long jump, javelin and 800m.
Jessica's biography: www.jessicaennis.net
