Sutton schoolboy Luke Mills was among a talented group of young London swimmers invited to enjoy an inspirational visit to the London 2012 Aquatics Centre last week in the company of Olympic medallist Stephen Parry.

The 15-year-old Stanley Park High School pupil has achieved the remarkable feat of being selected to represent his home borough for this week’s London Youth Games disability swimming finals at Hillingdon and the able-bodied swimming finals at National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace, on Saturday, July 3.

Stephen Parry, who won 200m butterfly bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympic behind legendary American Michael Phelps, was inspired by what he saw.

He said: “In the past few years, I have not missed swimming, but coming to see the London 2012 Aquatics Centre has made me excited and almost makes me want to put my trunks back on!

“We want our kids to be inspired by 2012 – that is what the bid was won on. By coming down here and seeing the Aquatics Centre, the London Youth Games swimmers will go away motivated about their sport and inspired about what is going to take place here in two years time.

“Events like the London Youth Games are the bedrock of sport in this country. We want our kids to be experiencing competitive sport at grassroots.

“When I was their age I was doing the Liverpool Youth Games, which is a similar multi-sport competition.

“These kids are just starting out on exactly the same pathway that I have been through, which – for me – resulted in an Olympic medal.”