From the London Youth Games to the World Stage

17th Dec 2024
Yolanda Martin
Alex Yee olympic triathlete smiles

London Youth Games encourage young Londoners to back London’s best for the SPOTY award

Alex Yee, the world’s most successful triathlete, has had an incredible journey from grassroots to the global stage. Born and raised in Lewisham, South-East London, Alex’s journey was aided by the opportunities provided by the London Youth Games, where he proudly represented his borough in Aquathlon, Cycling, and Cross Country between 2010 and 2014.

Alex reflected on his early years with the London Youth Games, saying: “Taking part in the London Youth Games was a special memory when I was younger and made me fall in love with sport even more than I already did. I made lifelong friendships, learned valuable life lessons and it really built my confidence to continue in sport and see how far I could go.”

Fast forward a decade, Alex is now a household name in British sport, celebrated for his outstanding achievements. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, he made his mark by winning gold in the Triathlon Mixed Relay and silver in the Men’s Individual Triathlon. This year, Alex continued his outstanding journey by producing one of the most iconic moments of the Paris 2024 Olympics, clinching gold in the Men’s Triathlon after a stunning late surge past his rival Hayden Wilde. He capped off the Games by securing bronze with his GB teammates in the Mixed Team Relay and had the honour of being a GB flagbearer during the closing ceremony.

In addition to his Olympic triumphs, Alex was crowned World Champion in 2024 in Torremolinos. His stellar year earned him a nomination for the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.

London Youth Games Chair, Geoff Thompson MBE, said “Alex is a fantastic role model. We want every young Londoner to have the opportunity to go on the same journey as Alex. We believe Sport is a fundamental right for all. We are committed to removing the barriers that exist for young Londoners to get active and access opportunities.”

We have many fantastic alumni who have gone on to achieve great things in sport and outside of sport. We are excited to bringing an alumni group together in the New Year to support us as we head towards our iconic 50th anniversary.

You can also support others to follow in Alex’s footsteps by donating to our Christmas campaign: https://www.givengain.com/campaign/xmas-campaign