My name's Jamie Jones-Buchanan, currently the Director of Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion at the Leeds Rhinos. Former coach for three years having retired from playing a 20-year career journey in September of 2019. Sports being a vehicle on which I've lived my life and Leeds Rugby League club, the Rhinos, has given me much of that life and certainly the opportunities within.
Yeah, getting inducted tonight is a real honour, It's a real privilege and I'm absolutely delighted. And I think I mentioned it out there, when you walk into this building, there's something tranquil about it. I don't know whether it's the architecture, the design, the materials, it's probably the people within. There's some real champions, men and women, inspirational people. And whether you're talking about Wilf Page, who used to be on the track there, carrying on as when I was a young kid in some of my earliest memories, he's been inducted right through to people like Kevin Sinfield, Lois Forsell, Tommy Briscoe, people that I've played with in there, Jimmy Keinhorst and inspirational world class athletes like Alistair Brownlee as well, who I've watched on television carry his brother over the line and show some real altruism, benevolence, courage, and the clues that I think underpin what outstanding people they look like, what they do. The love is a verb. And you see that all the time in abundance. That Leeds Beckett and do you know what, I think it's really important that they tell that story. For me, if I've ever had a criticism, it's that we all don't tell the story of what we do well enough because it, you know, it raises the tide. And as I mentioned out there, iron sharpens iron and one person sharpens another. And this is a great event to sharpen each other.
I look at myself and everybody else and we'll all say there's nothing special about us, we've just had an opportunity and being surrounded by the people that will help us along the way. Talk about having good friends, but we're always there to catch you when you try and jump out your comfort zone and don't quite make it. And those who are there to celebrate with you, you know, And it's two sides of a coin. But what it does when you've got a name on the wall or a picture or a piece of memorabilia, it gives you the opportunity to talk about a story, a moment in time, a memory, a person, a way of getting over a problem. And I think having that heritage is the word for it, isn't it, is the greatest means of bringing people together and keeping people together. We do it very well at Headingley AMT Stadium there. And Gary Hetherington, who's our CEO has always told stories really well. I think that's been the secret behind the success. So what Pete Mackreth and what Leeds Beckett University has created here is a great storytelling tool and opportunity.
Yeah, it's been tranquil again. Been around some great friends, people, not just elite athletes, people like Ben Jones who I've worked with at the RFL, Ian Mitchell who has been a staple background in this university for a lot of years and has helped me with some of my running. Dan Stanley, I love working with Dan, he really gets it. He understands the power of sport and having those collaborations with the likes of the Leeds Rhinos. So it's been a great evening and I hopefully, I hope it catapults us into a positive future.
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