So now that the greatest sporting show on earth – possibly the greatest show that London and Great Britain have ever seen – is over, where do we go now?

Well, a big part of these London 2012 Olympics was supposed to be the legacy it left. The motto of the Games was “inspire a generation” and that’s what the organisers want to happen now.

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   Gloucestershire rowers Pete Reed and Alex Gregory (far right and second right) after winning gold in the London 2012 Olympics

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   Try boxing at the Cheltenham Boxing Academy

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   Brad Wiggins and his GB team-mates in the Olympics cycling road race. Pic by David Hawgood.

Clearly the east of London has its legacy formed by steel and concrete, with sports stadia and the Olympic Park left behind to benefit the community.

But further afield, in the rest of the country, any legacy left by London 2012 will be a sporting one – the inspiration of our medallists promoting increased sporting activity in towns, cities and rural communities around the country.

One of the best things about any Olympic Games is the chance for people to appreciate minority sports which might not usually get themselves into the public consciousness, mainly to the dominance of football.

But people like cyclist Bradley Wiggins, diver Tom Daley and sailor Ben Ainslie have provided the heady mix of personality and sporting achievement needed to get more people interested in their sports.

Here’s a run-down of some of the sports Team GB excelled at in the Games, and a pointer to how you can get involved in Gloucestershire.

Cycling – eight gold, two silver, two bronze

The biggest centre for indoor cycling is the velodrome in Newport, South Wales but there are hills and roads all over Gloucestershire perfect for cycling. You may be needing the flatness of the Severn Vale if you’re a time trial champ like Wiggins but there are the Cotswolds if you fancy tackling the hills and the Forest of Dean is a haven for mountain biking.

Rowing – four gold, two silver, three bronze

Try going to the British Rowing website if you fancy following in the footsteps of Gloucestershire rowers Natasha Page and Beth Rodford, both of whom train at Gloucester Rowing Club. For your nearest club, go to http://www.britishrowing.org/clubs/club-finder or go to http://www.britishrowing.org/olympics#have-a-go to find out how to have a go.

Athletics – four gold, one silver, one bronze

Are you the next Mo Farah, Jess Ennis or Greg Rutherford. If so, go to http://www.glosaaa.org.uk/ to find out how to take part in Track and Field Athletics in Gloucestershire.

Boxing – three gold, one silver, one bronze

The county is blessed with several boxing gyms but one of the better ones is the Cheltenham Boxing Academy on the Lansdown Industrial Estate. It opened in December 2006 and is run by Pat Lewis, an ex-pro champion who has 10 years coaching experience under his belt.

Equestrian – three gold, one silver, one bronze

Gloucestershire is a bit of a hot-bed of horse riding, with horse trialling events like Badminton and Gatcombe right on our doorsteps. But the hills and rural areas of the county lend themselves perfectly to equestrianism and there are lots of stables and riding schools where you can try your hand. Try starting at this website http://www.findridingschools.co.uk/city-Cheltenham.html

Gymnastics – no gold, one silver, three bronze

Britain’s bronze in the men’s team event was one of the early surprises of the Olympics and doubtless there will be new fans of Lewis Smith and his team-mates who want to get into gymnastics. A good place for novices to the sport to start is www.southwestgym.org.uk which has full listings of all clubs in Gloucestershire.

Sailing – one gold, four silver

There are sailing clubs at the Cotswold Water Park near Cirencester where you can have a go at becoming the next Ben Ainslie – the Olympic legend with four gold medals to his name, each at different Games. Try going to this link http://www.waterpark.org/leisure/sailing.html.

Canoeing – two golds, one silver, one bronze

Slalom and sprint canoeing were two of the big surprises at London 2012 – with two gold medals won by these powerful athletes. Again, there are clubs in Gloucestershire and you can find out more at the Canoe England South West website here http://www.bcusw.org/content/clubs.htm

Triathlon – one gold, one bronze

A special mention must go to the sport of triathlon, the swimming, cycling and running combo which is the fastest-growing sport in the UK. Olympic champ Alistair Brownlee and his brother Jonny, who picked up bronze, will have further boosted the sport with their exploits in London. Go to http://www.britishtriathlon.org/take-part to find out how to get started.

Team GB won gold medals in an incredible 17 sports altogether. The ones listed above are the main ones but if you want to get into any of diving, hockey, judo, modern pentathlon, shooting, swimming, tennis or taekwondo then do some online research and you’ll find that the first step to you or your child’s sporting greatness is right on your doorstep.