Opinion
Female wins at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
Lyn Garner, LLDC
Jessica Ennis-Hill smashed her own British record when she won gold in the 2012 Olympics - Credit: PA
International Women’s Day is always a special day on the calendar and none more so than here at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. In this part of east London we have witnessed countless female triumphs and achievements.
In this, the 10th anniversary year of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, it gives us the perfect opportunity to look back at the progress that has been made not just on the Park but by the women who have been involved from that summer in 2012 to now.
We all remember Super Saturday when 80,000 spectators inside the Olympic Stadium and millions more around the world watched on as Team GB lit up the Games in 44 glorious minutes. Three gold medals won in under an hour - it was spectacular. Arguably the best moment of all was when Jess Ennis-Hill crossed the finish line in the 800m to smash her own British record and become heptathlon Olympic champion.
Lyn Garner is celebrating International Women's Day at the Park - Credit: LLDC
While Ennis-Hill’s glory on that Saturday may still rank as the most high profile female achievement here in the park, it is often the lesser known stories that fill us with the most pride.
Here at London Legacy Development Corporation we strive to deliver a legacy of enrichment and one which benefits both those who live and work here. It is also about promoting inclusion and diversity.
It fills me with immense pride that 61 per cent of the LLDC workforce are women. We also have four women at executive leadership level, including myself as chief executive and Gerry Murphy, deputy chief executive. The chairs of the LLDC Legacy Youth Board and the Planning Decisions Committee are also women.
I am particularly proud of Gabrielle Appiah. Gabrielle was a member of the Legacy Youth Board from 2011 to 2018. In November last year she was invited to join the LLDC Board. At 25 she is the youngest person to ever sit on the board and as someone with strong roots and connections to the area her insight is invaluable. Gabrielle was a month from starting sixth form when Ennis-Hill crossed the line on Saturday, August 4, 2012.
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Gabrielle’s isn’t the only story we should be shouting about on International Women’s Day, but it is a great reminder of the progress that has been made a decade on from the games.
Lyn Garner is chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation
