Ben Skinner joins Olympic Athletes to launch The BLUE Mile – Race for the Environment

Professional Surfer Ben Skinner today joined Stand-up Paddle Board champion John Hibbard, Olympic Medallists and World Record holding athletes on Plymouth’s (UK) historical Mayflower Steps as Paul Deighton, Chief Executive of The London 2012 Olympic Organising Committee fired the starting canon to one of the UK’s most important races to date, the race for our oceans and environment.

As surfers and athletes including Beijing Olympic Medallist Windsurfer Bryony Shaw, 2009 Vendee Globe yachtswoman Sam Davies and World Record holding Freediver Sara Campbell converged on the water, it was announced that Plymouth (UK) has been selected as the host city of the inaugural BLUE Mile – Race for the Environment which next year will see thousands of participants across all ages, sports and abilities take to the water to complete one mile in, on or next to a BLUE environment in an incredible ‘race for the environment’.

The BLUE Mile, which will take place in the Summer of 2010, will see surfers, swimmers, sailors, rowers, paddle-boarders and other sports-people take part in a event that aims to encourage young people to get actively involved with sport and the environment.  The event will see Plymouth's Hoe transformed with the creation of the city's first natural sand beach to host a series of beach games to sit alongside a BLUE village which will include impressive experiential learning and activity zones.