Ten Olympic sports you can try out in Belper

It's been a fantastic Olympics for Team GB, with Gold Medals and World records falling left, right and centre and the public getting right behind them.

So if you've caught the Olympic bug, where can you go in Belper to try out, play or help your kids to learn an Olympic Sport to become a future champion?  here are a few suggestions.

Swimming: Belper's own Ross Davenport was in the 4x200 metre relay where the team came in sixth place

Ross is a former member of the Belper Marlins, the Marlins are based at Belper Leisure Centre and welcome swimmers of all abilities, they hold an open invitation for new members on the first Sunday of each month and you can drop them an email on this link  if you are interested.

Cycling: One of the most succesful sports for Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics has been road and track cycling with Tour De France winner Bradley Wiggins securing Gold and Chris Hoy becoming the most succesful British Olympian ever, not to mention the heroics of Victoria Pendleton and Laura Trott.

To take part in the huge buzz growing around the sport, you could join Belper Cycling Club  they meet every Sunday morning at Belper triangle at 9am or at the Hurt Arms at 9.15am.

You can find more information out at their website  Belper also has a cycling star with local GP Chris Metcalfe who rides for the Charge team 

Belper also has a fantastic Bicycle shop Buzz Cycles where you can get kitted out and there are plans for a velodrome in nearby Derby.

Hockey: Team GB had success with the women's hockey team claiming a bronze. If you'd like to take up the sport Belper has one of the best Hockey set ups in Derbyshire, Belper Hockey Club run eight clubs including junior, girls, womens and mens teams, if you interested in using their fantastic facilities at the club you can get involved by visiting their website

Tennis: Fancy trying to emulate Olympic medallists such as Andy Murray and Laura Robson? Also at Belper Meadows is Belper Meadows Tennis Club  they have 125 members of mixed abilities, they have three flood-lit all weather courts, plus two grass courts. If you'd like to join them please visit their application page

The Duffield Tennis club also have a very good set up with seven all-weather courts

Football: It's been the first time TEAM GB have fielded a team in the olympics since 1974.

If this has whetted your appetite for involvement in local football, Belper Town Football Club would be an excellent place to start they have recently won an award as the Derbyshire County FA's 2012 Charter Standard Community Club for the second time in three years for its community work,

The senior team plays in the Evostik league but they also have a ladies team and youth teams for every junior age group.

Tae Kwon Do: There has been suprising success of Britain's martial artists with a silver and bronze in the judo. In Tae Kwon Do  Lutalo Muhammad secured a bronze and Jade Jones brought home a first ever goal medal in the sport. In Belper you can join an excellent club at the Belper Tae kwon Do School run by Karl Duro, you can contact him via this link

Distance Running - Want to emulate 5,000 and 10,000 gold medal runner Mo Farah? If your looking to take up distance running, the Belper Harriers have regular meets and club nights for all abilities. They meet on a Tuesday evening (7.15pm) at the Belper Leisure Centre.

The running website www.runningwithdavid.com also features regular local running events organised by David Denton in and around Belper including road races, fell races and Duathlons.

Archery - Want to take up the increasingly popular sport of Archery? The Black Arrow Field Archery club operate halfway between Belper and Derby, with social and competitive events. The Derbyshire Archery Club  also have a ground at Milford

Boxing: if you fancy taking up Boxing in the Belper area, super middleweight Boxer Gary Beardsley runs the Belper Boxing Academy from the Strutts Community Centre on Thursdays from 6 to 7pm, and on Mondays for female boxes the Pink Punch class runs from the Vanessa Millar School of Dance from 7.15pm

Sailing: With Belper as probably the most landlocked place you can find it may surprise you to find sailing on the list, however, coming from landlocked Whatstandwell never stopped Ellen Macarthur from becoming a world-famous sailor, and only 10 miles away from Belper is the Carsington Sailing Club which is recognised by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) as a Teaching Establishment.

A little further afield...

If you can go a little further afield from Belper you can try out the following clubs for more Olympic sports, Derby trailblazers are nearby Basketball club, whilst Derby Rowing Club hold learn to row sessions  , Derby City Gymnastics Club  have world renowned tumbler Damien Walters as a coach, he helped Belper Gymnast Greg Townley become a World Champion

Foiled again Fencing are a Derby based fencing club  whilst Derby Athletics club are based at the Moorways Stadium offering more track and field options.