Young local athletes will be running on bananas with Coles giving four boxes of bananas a week to the Jimboomba club.
The donation is part of a national thrust to encourage budding athletes to join Little Athletics, with Coles donating more than two million bananas nationally and signing champion athlete Sally Pearson as its ambassador for the next three years. The aim is to promote sport, health and well being in young Australians.
The Little Athletics season starts this month.
Jimboomba Coles Store Manager Susan Harding said Coles was delighted to be partnering with Little Athletics to help drive participation in Little Athletics in communities like Jimboomba.
“We are passionate about our fresh food and we want to support health, fun and fitness in the community through our partnership with Little Athletics. We also know our customers in Jimboomba love sport and getting involved with their local club,” she said.
“As well as our financial support, we wanted to donate bananas to energise local kids during training sessions.”
Fresh from her win at the world championships in London, Pearson encouraged kids to join Little Athletics this year.
“Little Athletics gave me the start I needed to be successful and fulfill my dreams. I encourage more kids across Australia to create their own story through athletics,” she said.
“I hope that the kids understand that it doesn’t matter if you’re not winning when you’re this age, you can always be an Olympic champion if your heart is set on it and you dream big.”
Pearson welcomed the partnership between Little Athletics and Coles, which would provide necessary funding for local clubs.
“Little Athletics is a very important organisation that adds value to our children’s health and well being. It’s essential to have funding and Coles is the answer to our prayers. I was also an ambassador for Coles leading up to the London Olympics and I’ve seen first-hand its passion for a healthy lifestyle and fresh food so I’m glad that I can be a part of that.”
“I do remember coming back from training sessions and sometimes eating about five bananas. They are a favourite fruit of mine so I am very excited by Coles’ initiative to donate bananas to clubs.”
Coles Little Athletics Australia CEO Martin Stillman said he hoped the number of kids joining Little Athletics would continue to grow locally and across Australia.
“Little Athletics is an iconic brand in the Australian sporting landscape and the Coles partnership will mean we can provide more support and resources to centres including Jimboomba to ensure further growth in the sport,” he said.
“Last year we had around 95,000 children registered around Australia and we hope that number will increase with kids joining Little Athletics for the first time.”
To join Little Athletics, log on to littleathletics.com.au Jimboomba enquiries to 0403 917 097. The grounds are situated in Henderson Road with membership teams available from Under seven to Under 14 boys and girls.
