Team USA Helps Highlight Britain!

Talk about a smart partnership to help promote travel and tourism! Team USA  is working with VisitBritain to launch an innovative program where Olympic gold medal atheletes will act as special travel guides leading up to the 2012 London Olympics. 

I got to meet some of these amazing athletes when they came to Lincoln Center in New York to celebrate the one year countdown to the 2012 Olympic Games and lauch the new Team USA: Britain Bound program. I think this is a brilliant TRAVEL THERAPY way to promote tourism and the athletes and Olympics at same time!

Here’s how it’s going to work. The following seven Olympic gold medal athletes are taking part in the program.

Nastia Liukin (2008 Olympic gymnastics all-round champion), Bryan Clay (2008 Olympic decathlon champion), Jeremy Campbell (2008 Paralympic discus and pentathlon champion), Henry Cejudo (2008 Olympic wrestling champion), Allison Jones (2008 Paralympic cycling silver medalist and 2006 Paralympic skiing champion), Heather Mitts (2008 and 2004 Olympic Soccer champion) and Rebecca Soni (2008 Olympic swimming champion).

VisitBritain’s North America Vice President Karen Clarkson says the goal of Team USA: Britain Bound is to take fans behind the scenes at Olympic venues and popular British travel spots leading up to the Olympics next summer. American fans will even get a chance to share some of their ideas on where they think the athletes should go on the programs interactive website www.teamusa.org/britainbound.

Known as the World Greatest Athlete, Olympic decathlon champion Bryan Clay joked with me about how he could just see himself now wearing a kilt in Scotland. Clay says this will be his first visit to Britain and he’s genuinely excited to explore different parts of the culture and share those experiences with American fans. Just talking to Clay for five minutes and you know he’ll do a great job helping to promote British travel venues because he’s so genuinely friendly, outgoing and eager to do his part to represent Team USA.

A personal highlight for me was getting to spend time talking with 2008 gymnastics all-round gold medalist Nastia Liukin.

Growing up I was a gymnast, nothing like the level of Liukin, but I’ve always admired the physical and mental strength is takes to succeed in this demanding sport and I’ve cheered Liukin on throughout her career. She shared with me her hopes to do some more television work, she played herself on the CW’s Hellcats and had a cameo role on Gossip Girl. Right now she says she’s shopping around looking at different colleges and stopped by New York University while she was in town for the Team USA: Britain Bound event but says her focus is still on the Olympics in 2012.

Liukin says she’s really looking forward to visiting the Olympic venues and taking in some famous sites. “We’re so excited to get to know the host country in a new light and to share all of our adventures with everyone back here in the U.S.,” says Liukin.

The athletes will be taking their trips to Britain this fall so stay tuned to hear about their experiences. You can follow their journeys by on to www.teamusa.org/britainbound. If you have an idea of where you’d like to see one of the athletes visit be sure to send it in!

Go Team USA!