Former Olympic swimmer Keri-anne Payne believes the Team England Futures programme is vital in preparing young athletes for potentially competing in multi-sport events later in their career. 

Heywood star Payne, who won a silver medal in the 10km open water swim at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, is an ambassador for SportsAid, the charity who runs the programme with the backing of Sport England. 

As part of it, athletes who are regarded as future participants have been attending the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham to give them their first experience of such an event. 

As well as having a tour around the athletes’ village and witnessing a variety of sports, they were also given a behind-the-scenes look at some of the other facilities made available to competitors. 

Payne, 34, said: “Going into a multi-sport Games is amazing because there is so much to do and it is so exciting to be around the village and food hall, and everything. 

“But while you’re preparing for your event there still needs to be some focus on what you’re doing and not being taken in by the fact there are chips on offer for every single meal and that breakfast can be whatever you want it to be. 

“It’s understanding that nutrition is actually a big part of it, so is all the walking you need to do, so is all the waiting around, so is the sleeping in a new bed in a room with someone else you may not have been there with before. 

“Having said that, the other thing I wish I had known as early on as some of these athletes is that, yes, it is a big competition, there are lots of people here, there are differences, but ultimately you are racing the same people as before.

“If these young athletes now have an opportunity to come to a Games like this before they go to their first Games, they won’t be taken aback by it.” 

Payne competed in three Olympics and two Commonwealth Games in a career that saw her win World Championship gold medals in the 10km open water event in 2009 and 2011. 

She does, however, admit she could have done with something like the Team England Futures programme before she took part in her first Commonwealth Games at Melbourne in 2006. 

“I’m the kind of girl that’s nervous for everything,” Payne said. “But I walked out for my 800m freestyle final at my first Commonwealth Games in front of 17,000 people and I was not nervous. 

“I was like ‘what’s going on, I don’t know what to do,’ and I did not perform very well. 

“Whether it was because I wasn’t nervous or just not on my game, I’m not really sure but it really did cement for me that that’s what could happen. 

“It was my first major meet, I was very inexperienced and I just had a terrible time, so I think if I’d maybe gone before and had a chance to see what it was like, maybe I would have performed better.” 

Commonwealth Games England has appointed SportsAid to lead on the development, management and operational delivery of Team England Futures at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. You can find out more about the programme by visiting https://www.sportsaid.org.uk/partnerships/team-england-futures/.