With just 12 months to go until the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland, Dell has announced the four athletes who will act as its UK brand ambassadors.
Benefitting from a diverse range of disciplines and experience levels, each athlete will work closely with Dell to show how integral technology is to their training and performance, and over the course of the year will participate in a range of activities to inspire others to achieve their goals.
As the Official IT Hardware and Data Centre Supporter of the Games, Dell will provide 2,400 desktops, 500 laptops, and approximately 60 servers and storage solutions, across 40 competition and non-competition venues, giving Glasgow 2014 ‘the power to do more’.
Tim Griffin, VP and managing director, Dell UK, said: "Technology is transforming huge sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games, with advances in this space enabling incredible experiences. In the lead up to – and during – the Glasgow 2014 games, Dell IT solutions will connect athletes, volunteers and officials around the globe and support business critical functions such as ticketing and graphics to ensure the best experience possible.
"Of course, the competition wouldn’t be possible without the athletes, and we’re thrilled to be working with such a first class line-up of talent who will be helping us bring to life the critical role technology will play in the Games for everybody involved."
The four athletes to serve as Dell’s brand ambassadors through 2013 and up until the Games are: Lynsey Sharp, Scotland’s 800m runner who was recently crowned European Champion; Elinor Barker, one of the most promising riders of her generation and the reigning junior world time trial champion; and Sam and Oliver Hynd (MBE), both two-time Paralympic gold medallist swimmers.
Between them, they have already become world leaders in their sports, taken part in 35 championships, and won over 50 medals – a real source of inspiration for future generations of athletes around the world.
Over the next 12 months, each will be involved in a variety of sponsorship, marketing and advertising activities for Dell including: visits to local schools to get pupils excited about sport in general and the Commonwealth Games in particular; speeches to local businesses across Scotland about the link between hard work, talent and technology; and participation in internal Dell staff motivational sessions around the world, but particularly in the UK and at Dell’s Scottish headquarters near the Glasgow 2014 venues.
Elinor Barker commented: "A big part of training involves looking at every detail of my cycling, both on and off the bike, and making improvements wherever I can. Technology is a huge part of this and allows me to keep my coach up to date on my training. He knows how far I rode that day, what the route was like, and how I have performed even though he is on the other side of the country."
Lynsey Sharp said: "I’m a huge supporter of grass-root sports, so I’m delighted to be partnering with Dell and meeting with aspiring young athletes all over the country. Not only will I be showcasing the importance of technology to my training and performance, I’ll be encouraging more children to follow their dreams."
Oliver Hynd noted: "Technology such as stroke analysis software is an integral part of our training, helping us to look closely at not only our own performance but that of our competitors. At this level of competition, it’s something we couldn’t live without."
