The race to the 2012 Olympics is now well and truly on. South Essex sporting talent was celebrating on Sunday 6 th April 2008, when three local celebrities had the privilege of carrying the Olympic flame. Danny Crates, Paralympic gold medallist from Stanford-le-Hope, Denise Van Outen, Basildon TV personality and Kirste Snellgrove, from Benfleet running club were all asked to carry the famous flame on a part of its journey from Greece to Beijing.

Danny Crates, who currently holds the 800m track world record, proudly ran with the flame from QEII Pier to Queens Walk, close to the end of the London leg of its journey. He said “I am very honoured to have been asked, and be one of only 80 people selected to carry the torch. For me the flame really does represent the Olympics and Paralympics, and as a competitor I feel that the games have begun when the flame is lit, and to be a part of that journey is a privilege I will cherish”.

It was a reminder of the exciting times we have ahead of us, as we move closer to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Games gives us a unique opportunity to create a lasting legacy for sport and young people, and the Thames Gateway Olympic Legacy action plan for the Thames Gateway is already being drawn up. The action plan is being designed to capture the legacy of the Games and take advantage of the opportunities it will bring. Planning and development has already begun for several Olympics Legacy projects in South Essex, and many of these have been showcased in the Echo.

The sports related projects have already shown their potential by being included in the London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide. They include the Basildon Sporting Village, a landmark development that will play a significant and exciting role in the regeneration of Basildon town centre. The Sporting Village, which is set to include facilities such as an Olympic sized swimming pool and athletics track and grandstand, will be a community hub offering a wealth of activities and services for local people that are affordable and accessible to all. The South Essex Gymnastics Centre which will be a part of the Sporting Village has also been included in the guide.

In Southend, close to the Garons Park leisure and tennis centre, plans have been developed for a new swimming pool and world class diving facilities. The project will position the Borough's sporting facilities as part of a wider leisure offer to enable the benefits of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to be maximised and to support the development of the town as a destination of choice. But it's not just sports facilities that are being developed. At the Port of Tilbury, as one of the International Ports of Entry, Transports and Logistics in the Thames Gateway, planned improvements will help to maximise business opportunities and tourism links. According to the draft action plan, the port has ‘a potentially huge role as a centre for the Olympics both as a container port and construction logistics centre, but also in terms of its developing cruise terminal'.

The Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership are coordinating the planning for this legacy, and promoting the area's offer. Looking forward, there are exciting times ahead with opportunities to enhance the area's image as it offers new prospects for business and employment in 2012, the world's media spotlight will be thrown on the Gateway. With so much true Essex talent and spirit, and many projects already under way, South Essex could be the place where the Olympics come alive.