The Olympics were a welcome opportunity to forget about the economic doom and gloom, take pride in our athletes’ achievements and celebrate success.

It was great to see local footballers Jill Scott and Stephanie Houghton representing Team GB.

They are fantastic role models for young people.

But there’s more to come this week with the Paralympics and hopefully yet more medals.

As the memories fade, the challenge is to make sure that the Olympic legacy is one of people of all ages taking part in sport and physical activity.

This article was originally published in the Sunderland Echo in August 2012