Strong neighbourhoods don’t just make our towns and villages nicer places to live; they also have a real impact on people’s lives. A bit of support from your neighbours can sometimes make all the difference. Just ask Adam Peaty, who smashed the world record en route to winning Team GB’s first gold medal this summer.
Adam Peaty – Olympic Swimmer & Gold Medallist
Last weekend, Adam joined us in South London at one of our members’ Nextdoor neighbourhood picnics. After signing what seemed like hundreds of autographs and meeting lots and lots of very excited children (and a few overexcited adults!), Adam spoke about how his neighbours had helped him get to Rio, saying:
“When I was an up-and-coming amateur, my neighbours used to take me training, raised money so I could compete and held street parties every time I won. It means a lot in the end. Without them, I’d never have made it to Rio.”
In his first competitive action since the Olympics, Adam also took part in several sack races with children from local schools. But as the below picture reveals, Adam has probably already found his sport. He has vowed to stick to swimming from now on…
Adam’s dreams of winning the sack race lie in tatters
Adam also told reporters from the Daily Star that, on his return from Rio, his first act was to host a hog roast for his neighbours in Derby. He wanted to say thank you to “everyone in our neighbourhood who helped me over the years and has been part of my journey.”
So it’s little wonder that Adam has become such a passionate supporter of Nextdoor. Having recently moved house so he can be closer to where he trains in Loughborough, he is now looking forward to setting up his neighbourhood:
“Technology is becoming more important, and everyone is on their smartphones and everyone is busy, so to be able to check how everyone is doing in the neighbourhood is great. I know how important it is to have good neighbours and to look out for one another.”
We’re sure that, on the road to Tokyo in 2020, Adam’s new ‘hood will be just as supportive as his last.
Adam loves his neighbours
Do you have a story about how you’ve used Nextdoor in your neighbourhood? Let us know.
