Senior leaders from the university gathered last week to welcome colleagues from Sport England and BBC Sport who have embarked on a 500-mile 'Pedal for Paris' cycle from Manchester to Paris.

Led by Sport England chair and Tour de France cyclist Chris Boardman, the initiative is shining a spotlight on the challenges facing the environment and asking sport and physical activity organisations across the country to sign the pledge, committing to new ways to become more sustainable.

Throughout the eight-day cycle, the riders stopped at Loughborough University on Thursday 18 July before moving south to the National Badminton Centre in Milton Keynes, Bisham Abbey, and the Redgrave Pinsent Rowing Lake in Caversham.

The team will then cross the channel and arrive in Paris ahead of Friday’s opening ceremony.

During the stop on campus, the BBC team met with Loughborough athletes Alex Haydock-Wilson, Olivia Breen, Molly Caudery, Eliza McCartney, Liam McGarry, and Liv Broome to discuss their hopes for the championships, climate change, and Paris’ sustainability credentials.

This was followed by a private dinner at the Elite Athlete Centre and Hotel where Loughborough officially committed to Going for Green.

For all the latest Loughborough news around major global sporting events, visit the University’s dedicated website here: https://www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/athletes-global-stage/

Join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #Lboro2Paris.