Olympian cleans up waterways

An Olympic champion who cleaned up at the Games, is now cleaning up for real.

Ed McKeever, who won a Gold this summer, joined other volunteers in the River Lea in East London.

The scheme is part of a campaign to ensure the waterways in the shadows of the Olympic Park stay free from rubbish. Piers Hopkirk reports.

Olympic kayak sprinter Ed McKeever is known as the Usain Bolt of the water.

But today it was all rather more sedate, as he joined volunteers to help clear up the navigation channel of the River Lea in Bow.

It’s all part of the lottery funded Big Waterways Clean Up project - a scheme to help clean up rivers and canals in the five Olympic boroughs.

Since February more than 3,600 volunteers have joined in the project. It's due to end in December and now the hunt is underway to find more funding - to allow it to continue.

Olympic gold medallist Ed McKeever revealed today that he hopes to compete for gold again in Rio 2016.

"It's given people so much pleasure seeing a gold medal, it would be a shame not to go for it again", he said.

Olympic gold medallist Ed McKeever receives a briefing ahead of his participation in the Big Waterways Clean Up Project on the Lea Navigation in East London today.

Three and a half thousand volunteers have taken part in the scheme to tidy up waterways in the five Olympic boroughs.

Olympic Gold Medallist Ed McKeever will be sharing his Olympic experience whilst cleaning up Londons waterways with volunteers from the Big Waterways Clean Up on the River Lea.

Big Waterways Clean Up 2012 is a London 2012-inspired campaign to improve East London's waterways.

Over 2,500 volunteers helped enhance the waterways of London's 2012 host boroughs ahead of the Games and now we are working hard to ensure these valuable spaces are protected and enjoyed into the legacy period.

Following the success of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the National Lottery is celebrating their investment in sport which is providing opportunities to the younger generations inspired by the summer of sport in the UK - cementing a legacy in sport for years to come.