Ipswich's Ambassador for Sport, Karen Pickering, is preparing for a big Beijing challenge this summer - attracting Olympic training teams and their families to the area in the run-up to 2012.
The swimming legend is working with Ipswich Borough Council on a marketing strategy to "sell" a range of sporting facilities in and around Ipswich. She will have a golden opportunity as she is already in Beijing commentating on the Olympic Games for the BBC.
Karen, who is also preparing to take part a new series of BBC TV's "Superstars", will be taking a special brochure produced by the Council's Team Ipswich initiative that highlights the advantages for a training team in coming to this area.
Seven facilities – Northgate Sports Centre, Ipswich Gymnastics Centre, Ipswich Town Football Club, Felixstowe Tennis Club, Bentwaters Rifle Club, the Royal Hospital School and the equestrian facilities at Otley College – were all short-listed as suitable by the organisers of the London Games in 2012.
Karen said: "Ipswich and the surrounding area are so close to the east London Olympics site we can offer the very best to training teams in terms of logistics and transport as well as top-class facilities. As an Olympian, I know what athletes need when they train and I will be working hard to persuade colleagues from around the world that Suffolk is the place to come to.
The Borough Council is part of the Suffolk Sports Foundation and is working closely with colleagues in neighbouring local authorities.
Councillor Judy Terry, the Borough's Arts, Culture & Leisure portfolio-holder, said the Council was right behind Karen's marketing initiative. "This is a fantastic opportunity for us and is one of the reasons why we made Karen our sporting ambassador. She is well-respected by the movers and shakers in world sport and is in Beijing anyway so this will not be an additional cost to the council tax-payer."