MEMBERS of the team from Hugh Fearnley-Whitting-stall’s River Cottage television show took the plunge as they trained with Team GB’s diving squad.

River Cottage’s host ambassadors, Steve Lamb and Stefanie Smith travelled up to Sheffield to take to the diving platforms with the diving team.

The trip was organised after Team GB coach Steve Gladding and his squad travelled to River Cottage headquarters in Axminster where they worked with chef tutors Gary Richmond and Stefanie Smith to learn how to cook tasty and nutritious meals as part of the ‘Essential Eating’ course.

The course, which is taught at River Cottage’s chefs’ school, has been created with the focus of fuelling the body for both professional athletes and those wanting to live a healthier lifestyle.

Coach Steve Gladding invited the team from River Cottage to train with the diving squad. During the day, they learnt basic diving techniques in the dry area facilities before taking to the water at GB training centre Ponds Forge, Sheffield.

Mr Lamb said: “Working with the GB Olympic diving team was both exhilarating and daunting.

“With the guidance of coach Steve Gladding I found myself able to fall from the top of the 10 metre platform into the pool below.

“I can say that the future of our partnership together will be less of a leap of faith due to their commitment to excellence.”

The project started after Mark Woodward, who owns an eco friendly conference venue called Green Directions, and his son, who is a junior GB diver, wanted to learn more about fuelling the body for performance.

Mr Woodward said: “Inspired by our experience at River Cottage, the team returned to Sheffield and with the help of the divers’ parents we planted a variety of seeds and have since nurtured and harvested our own vegetables.

“We are experiencing the difference that this is having on these young athletes, in both the nutritional benefits they are receiving and in their understanding of where this food is coming from and knowing that they have grown it”.

The next ‘Essential Eating’ course is on October 2 at River Cottage HQ.

Visit rivercottage.net/hq/chefs-school for more information.