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University dance lecturer, Dennie Wilson,
received international recognition when
she was appointed to produce the Olympic
victories ceremonies.
Research into the emotional experience of
runners by Professor of Sport Psychology, Andy
Lane, was awarded the prestigious ‘Inspire’ mark
from the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The Students’ Union received Gold
accreditation for its work supporting the
London 2012 Olympic Games as part of the
nationwide project, ‘Be a Champion.’
We helped to bring the Olympics to the Black
Country when we hosted two major events for
the region.
The Birmingham-based choreographer was appointed Victories
Ceremonies Producer for Athletics (Games Time), responsible for
leading, training and directing the Victories Ceremonies Team for
athletics at both the Olympics and Paralympics.
Dennie works part-time as a senior lecturer in Dance at the
University’s School of Sport, Performing Arts and Leisure and is a
teacher of Contemporary Dance at the renowned Elmhurst School
for Dance in Association with Birmingham Royal Ballet.
She said: “This truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity and
I’m hugely proud. It’s not often that people in the arts get the
opportunity to represent their country in the same way that
sports people do, so I am absolutely thrilled to be part of such a
magnificent event.”
Dennie is also the Artistic Director of dna3d, a dance, design and
digital performance company that brings together dance and
performance artists, sound and vision to create unique ensemble
performance-based work.
The ‘Inspire’ mark recognises exceptional projects and events that
have been inspired by the Games coming to the UK.
A psychologist by background, Andy’s research interests include
emotion, emotion regulation and psychological skills in sport
performance. The award-winning research was conducted as part
of the Emotional Regulation of Others and Self (EROS) project; a
national collaborative project of university researchers who examine
different types of psychology, covering areas such as work, social
and sports.
Andy leads the sports and exercise psychology aspect of the
EROS project, which focuses on emotions in sport and exercise.
His work has examined specifically how athletes regulate their
own emotions, in particular before, during and after competition,
and the effectiveness of interventions to help athletes regulate their
emotions.
‘Be a Champion’ is aimed at the UK’s student population
and encourages them to make the most of the huge range of
opportunities that the Games present – whether running sports
activities, being creative with art, showcasing the country’s culture
and traditions, or raising awareness of the importance of creating a
sustainable environment.
The Students’ Union was initially awarded Bronze accreditation
before moving up to Silver and then finally Gold, the highest
accolade available. Representing Wolverhampton Students’
Union, current student in Sport and Exercise Science, Victor
Dimakopoulos, undertook an art-based project featuring
photographs of local residents, each holding a board stating what
the Olympic Games has inspired them to do. The photographs
were put together to create a montage of images that represent
the different ways the Games has inspired the local area.
Victor said: “As a Sports Science student and an avid athletics
and sports enthusiast, I was excited to get involved in the
Olympics. I wanted to give the Wolverhampton public the
opportunity to share their thoughts about the Games and how it
has inspired them. Hopefully my passion and philosophy will help
encourage new athletes to push their sport and ambitions to the
limits.”
In collaboration with the Black Country BeActive Partnership, we
hosted the Black Country School Games Winter Festival and two
Sports Makers conventions, bringing the magic of the Olympics
into communities across the region.
Over 1,100 young people from primary and secondary schools in
the Black Country took part in the School Games Winter Festival,
which was held at our Walsall Campus Sports Centre and included
over 20 different sporting events. The School Games initiative is
designed to encourage young people of all ages and abilities to
participate in competitive sport.
Similarly, our Active Volunteers programme played a leading role in
bringing the national Olympic legacy programme – Sport Makers
– to the University. Hosting two conventions, students were given
the opportunity to find out how they could become a Sport Maker
and get involved in sporting activities across the region, either
through leading and organising events, or by simply taking part.
The students also got to meet Olympic 400-metre runner, Daniel
Caines, and Commonwealth and European Swimming Gold
Medalist, Adam Whitehead.
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