They are from different worlds, 6,000 miles apart, but US sports legend Tamika Catchings and Cypriot student Eleni Partakki found themselves together on the basketball court celebrating a special moment in time. Laureus Ambassador Tamika is one of the greatest players in WNBA history and was a member of the invincible US women’s Olympic team. Eleni is a participant in PeacePlayers International, a Laureus-supported project which encourages Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot boys and girls to play basketball together.

Adventurous UK cyclists are encouraged to get on their bikes and join in the next annual WOW Cyclothon, one of the largest ultra-cycling competitions in the world, taking place under Iceland's iconic midnight sun from 20-23 June 2017. Attracting keen cyclists from around the world looking for exciting new conditions to ride, WOW Cyclothon is the largest and longest road race in Iceland, spanning over 1,358 km, in a total time of less than 84 hours.

Britain’s London Olympic high jump medallist Robbie Grabarz believes that 2017 is the biggest year in the history of athletics in Birmingham, with three major events taking place in the city. 2017 will see three major events coming to the city – the Müller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham (18 February) the British Athletics Team Trials (30 June – 2 July) and the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham (20 August) – as part of an incredible period for Birmingham, which will host the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships early the following year.

Floating 400m over her hometown in a hot-air balloon, champion athlete Glynis Nunn-Cearns could easily see why the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games will be so successful. The Los Angeles Olympics heptathlon gold medallist, who has lived on the Coast for more than 20 years, was awe-struck by the diversity below as the whispers of a morning breeze gently steered her dawn flight from golden beaches to green hinterland.

Beat the Street has created a lasting legacy of physical activity in Birmingham following the establishment of Handsworth’s first ever community cycling club. Launched this month at Handsworth Park, the Handsworth Beat the Street Community Cycling Club will provide residents with the opportunity to build their cycling skills and confidence through community bike rides across Birmingham and the West Midlands.

With England and the West Indies on the verge of making cricketing history the evolution of the game marks a significant milestone for Edgbaston Stadium its 115-year history as an international venue. In the England & Wales Cricket Board and Warwickshire County Cricket Club announcing that it will host the first ever day/night Investec Test Match, in 2017, it also marks the 50^th Test Match to be staged at one of the country’s premier venues.