An Adult Nursing alumna fully embraced the Commonwealth Games coming to the city where she was born and raised thanks to her roles as a Hometown Hero and Ambassador at the Queens Baton Relay.
Salma Bi, who graduated from BCU in 2009, was selected as a Hometown Hero after establishing herself as a grassroots cricket champion.
She said: “As a Hometown Hero I represented my sport, Cricket, as a Grassroots Cricket Champion. It was lovely to be one of the 14 Hometown Hero’s selected back in October 2021.
“We were all awarded for our volunteer roles in our communities, and we were then asked to join the Queens Baton Team to launch the Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace. Her Majesty delivered the message in the Baton, which then travelled over 72 Nations before it returned to Birmingham.
“My mural was depicted at Navigation Street in Birmingham alongside another the other Hometown Heroes and the reveal of it then launched the search for the 2022 Baton Bearers.”
Alongside being a Hometown Hero, Salma was also able to be a Baton Bearer herself at Small Heath Park just a day before the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony.
She said: “Being involved with the Games was a tremendous experience. To have the Games on our doorstep really gave us all the responsibility to represent Birmingham on a whole new level and it was our time to show the world what Birmingham is about.
“I loved the opportunities that came along with it, like attending meetings and being able to share my story with a big platform. I am privileged to be amongst the Hometown Heroes. We started a journey together and it was so exciting to see us grow as the games drew closer every day.
“The Games will have an incredible legacy on Birmingham. Records were set and we found new heroes. More children and communities got involved in sports and with so many tourists attending, job opportunities were created.
“However, it was the Volunteers who were the backbone of the Games and that was amazing to see.”
But Salma is most pleased that her sport, Cricket, was finally introduced at the Games. She said: “I’m so pleased to see that many more girls want to get involved with sports, especially cricket, because of the Games.
“History was absolutely made and I'm so grateful that I was part of it all.”