Duchess Kate inspires young athletes to go for gold

November 12, 2014Nov 12, 2014, 5:34 PM GMT

The Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, acted as an inspirational role model for children and teenagers as she attended a solo SportsAid engagement. Kate, who is fan of tennis, sailing and hockey among other sports, met the aspiring athletes on Wednesday. Showing her support for the youth charity of which she is patron, Kate arrived at the GSK Human Performance Lab in Brentford, West London shortly after lunchtime. As with all her royal duties, Kate's arrival was highly anticipated. Living up to expectations, the pregnant Duchess, who is expecting her second baby with Prince William, charmed with her warmth and generosity of time.

Duchess Kate kept her small baby bump hidden under her coat dress

Flying the flag for British fashion, Kate wore a plum winter coat dress by one of her favourite UK brands Goat. The stylish item featured a buckled belt that drew attention to the Duchess' tiny baby bump.

Keeping warm with a pair of knee-high black boots, Kate left her make-up natural, applying just a hint of blusher to match her wintery look. She had her brunette hair styled into loose curls that fell across her shoulders.

Sporty Kate watched as young athletes took part in strength and endurance tests

Prince William's wife watched as the group of budding sports fanatics took part in workshops, putting their sporting limits to the test. The young athletes, who are hoping to take part in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, showed off their skills in a number of activities including strength and power assessments, cognitive testing and body composition analysis. The exercises were done in an environmental chamber set to match the heat and humidity of Tokyo.

Kate joked that one thing she could do when pregnant was to try a cognitive test

Kate chatted away to several excited youngsters and Paralympians as she made her way around the London venue. She was guided by wheelchair athlete David Weir CBE and Olympic silver medallist Keri-Anne Payne.

At one stop, the Duchess tried out some cognitive testing equipment, which tests hand-eye co-ordination, and joked that it was one thing she could do when pregnant.

Prince William's wife has been a royal patron of SportsAid since 2013

The Duchess has been championing SportsAid, which provides financial support to youngsters, since 2013. The charity typically helps athletes aged 12 to 18, covering costs in travel, training, accommodation, competition fees and equipment. Kate has always been a keen ambassador of sport, and enthusiastically cheered on the nation's men and women during London 2012 in her role as official ambassador for Team GB and Paralympians GB.

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