Tom Daley launches Sodexo's national healthy eating initiative at Bristol School

This is a nationwide promotion, organised by Tom's personal sponsor Sodexo, a leading provider of food and management services in the education sector, to encourage school children to eat healthily and lead an active lifestyle. Sodexo's Food for Sport week will take place at up to 200 schools across the country.

The inspirational young sportsman joined students at John Cabot Academy, where Sodexo provides the school meals, for a day that began with a special assembly where students were given the opportunity to ask Tom questions on a range of subjects from his training regime, how he felt about the Olympics, to his ambition for the future.

Tom also created a buzz in the dining room at lunchtime as he dished up a range of nutritious food, spoke to students about their sporting ambitions and whetted their appetite for healthy eating.

'Daley Facts' [listed in full below] aim to teach school children how eating a balanced diet will help them both in the classroom and on the sports field and will be displayed in every school taking part in Food for Sport Week. Among Tom's tips, students will be encouraged to drink lots to prevent dehydration and be sure to eat breakfast.

Tom said: “Sodexo is really behind healthy eating and it's something I'm passionate about as it helps me perform at my best. The right food and levels of carbohydrate can help everyone feel good, perform well in sport and concentrate at school. I loved meeting and talking to students at John Cabot and hopefully Sodexo's Food for Sport Week will encourage all young people to eat healthily and exercise more.”

Sodexo became Tom's major personal sponsor in June and the funding will enable him to prepare for the Olympics and his increasing schedule of international competitions.

Tom is the second youngest-ever male Olympian to represent Great Britain and, in March, he became the youngest European Diving Champion ever aged just 13 years and 308 days.

Jane Bristow, managing director, Sodexo Education, commented: “At Sodexo Education, a commitment to promoting health and well-being is central to all we do. We are delighted to be working with Tom, who is an excellent role model and real proof of what a healthy diet can help achieve. We hope his involvement will encourage children across the country to really think about what they eat, and the exercise that they take.”

'Daley Facts'

. To prevent dehydration during exercise, drink plenty of water every 15 -20 minutes
. Dehydration can result in poor co-ordination, slow reactions and increasing levels of tiredness
. Energy requirements vary from just 1,500kcal a day for a young female gymnast to 6,000kcal a day for a Tour de France cyclist
. To achieve high energy intake during training it is important not to miss breakfast
. A high carbohydrate meal 2-3 hours before a game improves your energy levels and performance
. It takes a minimum of 20 hours to fully replenish carbohydrate stores following a strenuous exercise session
. Footballers need to eat a meal rich in carbohydrate and may eat 500g of carbohydrate per day which would be equivalent to 10 large bowls of cereal.

Watch Tom Daley launch Sodexo's 'Food For Sport' campaign at the John Cabot Academy in Bristol.