Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle has launched the I Am Team GB festival to help inspire people to get active, saying it was “a great opportunity”.

I Am Team GB (IATGB) will see a programme of events hosted across the UK, with a weekend of sport on August 14 and 15.

Team GB said it hopes to use the excitement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to encourage thousands of Britons to live healthier lifestyles.

Tweddle, a three-time world champion and bronze medalist at London 2012, opened the festival at the University of Hull on International Olympic Day, which marks one month until the 2020 games begin.

She said: “It’s a summer of activities, you can choose loads of different sports to have a go at.

“Hopefully the Covid restrictions will be eased by then, so it’s a great opportunity to get together with family and friends and try something that you may never have done before.”

Steve Curtis, head of sport and student life at University of Hull, said Tweddle’s presence could only have a positive impact in helping people get fit.

“Having such a great Olympian and sports ambassador as Beth Tweddle on campus will really spur people on to come down and get active, which is what this is all about,” he said.

The Festival of Sport, presented by Team GB sponsor Toyota, started with a ‘Give it a Go’ event at the university.

This gave people the chance to take part in sports they might never have tried previously, such as lacrosse and wheelchair basketball.

Tim Ellerton, Team GB commercial director, said: “Encouraging people to try new activities today is at the heart of what IATGB is all about.

“This is the perfect way to launch IATGB, and carry on building excitement ahead of Tokyo 2020.”

Similar opportunities to get involved in sports will take place again in August, alongside an online programme of activities.

There will also be community events, which Team GB said will allow people to celebrate athletes’ homecomings and recognise their achievements in Tokyo.

Team GB and Hull University have been in partnership since 2019. As well as collaborating to launch IATGB, the university has undertaken a research project exploring British Olympic champions of the past, which it said has helped connect current athletes with their sporting heritage.