Olympians of tomorrow could be made in Pewsey’s new Vale Community Campus as silver medal winner Shelley Rudman officially opened the new state of the art sports centre.

The skeleton bobsleigh Olympian told children how she might never have scored her silver medal in the Winter Olympics if she hadn’t had the fitness suite in the village.

Spinning classes, Zumba, health coaches and the Pewsey Belles Ladies Choir were all at the centre to celebrate the official opening of the new Vale Community Campus.

The campus has a swimming pool, dance studio, squash court, fully fitted gym and sports hall.

Its pool is also fitted with an accessible pod that lowers people in and out of the water who have access issues or a disability.

Speaking in front of the Pewsey community Ms Rudman said: “If it wasn’t for the facilities that were here, which is where I spent most of my life from youngster all the way up to the Olympics, I probably wouldn’t have been where I am with regards sporting background that I achieved.”

Since it opened two months ago, over 13,000 visits have been made, and 570 fitness memberships and 250 swimming memberships taken up by people in the community.

Becca Higgs coordinates walking sports for Wiltshire Council and encourages volunteers to lead sessions.

While at a training session for walking netball, which now has 250 ladies signed up across eight groups in Wiltshire, she said: “We see the women grow in confidence and it becomes a social event for them too. Some people were socially isolated before and this gives them a way to make friends.”

Curly Haskell, chairman of Pewsey Parish Council added: “It is great Wiltshire Council finally listened to us because it us important that rural communities get facilities as well as towns. We are so appreciative of getting this and we worked hard to find out and then get what people in this area wanted.”

Leader of Wiltshire Council Jane Scott added: “We are replacing out of date and very costly buildings and trying to make more economically efficient and environmentally efficient buildings.

“I hope the community of Pewsey enjoy and use the new centre, which I have no doubt they will.”

Read more about the opening in next week’s Gazette and Herald.