AL-DI PREP THEY NEED FOR PARIS 2024!

TEAM GB AND PARALYMPICSGB ATHLETES PREPARE FOR OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES WITH TRAINING SESSIONS AT ALDI

• Aldi is helping Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes, Emily Campbell and Thomas Young, prepare for the Games by letting them train at their local store
• ParalympicGB sprinter Thomas Young reaches lightning speed on Aldi’s fast-moving conveyor belt, while heavy weightlifter Emily Campbell pumps iron using shoppers’ weekly groceries
• The athletes share exclusive nutrition and exercise tips that help them get into Olympic shape

The countdown to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games is on and Team GB and ParalympicsGB are getting a helping hand from official supermarket sponsor, Aldi.

Heavy weightlifter Emily Campbell and para-sprinter Thomas Young have been using their local Aldi store in Broughton Astley, Leicester, for some last-minute training.

Set to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris this summer, the pair used heavily packed shopping bags and even a till conveyor to get in one of their many training sessions ahead of the games.

Silver medallist Emily — who will make her second Olympic appearance this year by competing in the 81kg+ category — made history by becoming the first British woman to win a medal in weightlifting. Now, Emily is pumping iron in her local Aldi by lifting huge baskets of groceries.

Emily, who revealed that she needs to consume up to a whopping 4,400 calories a day when training to maintain her strength and energy, said: “It’s not every day you get to work up a sweat in your local supermarket, so when Aldi approached me to offer an alternative space to train in, I was very intrigued. I can’t say I’ve ever used baskets of groceries before, but my skills were put to the test and it was a lot of fun”.

ParalympicsGB athlete Thomas — a self-proclaimed Aldi Cuthbert Cake fanatic — took to the store conveyor belt to race against the famously speedy Aldi tills ahead of his fifth Paralympic games. Thomas took home the gold medal in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games for the T38 100m and with some help from Aldi, is right on track to clinch the top prize once again. 

Thomas said: “I knew I would be put through my paces on Aldi’s tills as we all know the checkout staff are speedy, but it’s just what I needed before we head to Paris! I had to have some of my go-to chewy sweets for my usual sugar kick and I was wearing my GB socks as it’s part of my ritual to wear funky, colourful socks to help me get in the zone.”

When divulging his training and dietary routines, Thomas revealed that he avoids his favourite fruit, oranges, when preparing to run due to sickness caused by the acid. Instead, Thomas reaches for beef jerky and popcorn to keep his body powered up. He added: “It’s easy to pack and of course nice to eat!”

Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi UK, said: “We’ve proudly supported Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes for the past nine years including providing food vouchers to help keep them fuelled through our Nearest and Dearest Programme. We’re pleased to help Team GB and ParalympicsGB in any way we can and were delighted to offer one of our stores as a training facility to help Emily and Thomas get some last-minute training in before they head to Paris.”

For more information on Aldi’s Team GB sponsorship, head to https://www.aldi.co.uk/team-gb. Explore the supermarket’s healthy product range here.

-ENDS-

Source: aldi.co.uk