Three-times Olympic medallist Kriss Akabusi has been in Bath talking about his sporting achievements to encourage people to get active in 2012.

The World, European and Commonwealth champion was the guest speaker at a conference at the Assembly Rooms, to inspire local sports clubs and schools to make the most of this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It was staged by Bath and North East Somerset Council, in partnership with NHS B&NES, and also featured a speech by Paralympic swimmer Kate Grey.

Akabusi, who is a regular in Bath because of his links with business mentoring organisation Footdown, said he believed the London games could leave a permanent legacy.

He said: “This isn’t just about young people, but people of all ages and all levels. Not everyone is going to be able to run the 100 metres like Usain Bolt, but there are opportunities to be involved in sport in many different ways.

“There is a big need for mature people with experience in life who can come and officiate games and create a platform for our young people.

“It is about getting more people, more active, more often.”

He added that he hoped seeing the Olympics and Paralympics so close to home would prepare the next generation of athletes for the games in four or eight years’ time.

He said: “This is for the young ones who have never thought about getting involved in sport, but also those who are already showing a bit of promise.

“Maybe they are at university and are torn between going out drinking and partying, or training. Hopefully this will show them that if they put their nose to the grindstone that this could be them in the future.”

Around 60 people were at the event to listen to Akabusi talk about his sporting and Olympic experiences, with the aim of getting ideas for how they could be more involved.

Dr Pamela Akerman, director of public health in B&NES, said if everyone embraced the values of the games and took up more exercise, the country would be a better place.

She said: “Being active is one of the best things we can do to live a healthy life.

“Elite athletes can inspire people and change lives, especially young people, and for me a lasting legacy of London 2012 would be more people participating in sport and being more physically active. This would have a profound effect on the nation’s health and wellbeing.”