ITV COMMISSIONS NEW SPORTS DOCUMENTARY 'RUN FOR YOUR LIFE'

April 19, 2019

British television network ITV has commissioned a new documentary focusing on the potential for sport to offer young people an alternative path in life to prevent them from being drawn into criminality and gang culture.

Produced by Golden Egg Innovation and featuring contributions from the likes of Beyond Sport Ambassadors Lord Sebastian Coe and Dame Kelly Holmes along with Daley Thompson CBE, Run For Your Life explores the impact of Connie Henry’s Track Academy organisation on the lives of its participants.

Connie, a former Commonwealth Games triple jump medallist, founded Track Academy in North West London in 2007 to turn around young people’s lives who, by their own admission, might otherwise have fallen into crime.

Run For Your Life tracks Connie mentoring her prospects in training and supporting them while they compete. Additionally, the young athletes share their stories of how sport influenced them at crucial stages of their lives.

It also highlights Connie's aims to win government-backing for an idea she believes could offer positive opportunities to young people in communities affected by knife crime, and across the country, through the power of sport.

The devastating impact of knife crime on young people, their families and communities is highlighted with the contribution of Paul Barnes, whose 15-year-old son Quamari was stabbed to death in 2017 and who expresses his hope for sport to help prevent further tragedies by steering young people away from crime.

The programme’s producer, Steve Boulton said: “At a time when we hear plenty of sound-bite solutions to tackling knife crime, Run For Your Life hopes to shine a light on the challenges faced by today’s youth, viewed through the eyes of a sports charity and its founder, who have more than a decade’s experience making an impact on kids’ lives.”