FIVE years on from hosting the London Olympics, the Lee Valley White Water Centre is still riding on the crest of a wave.

Situated just half an hour from Basildon, the venue has grown since 2012 and continues to be used by a wide range of people.

The white water rafting instructors have vast amounts of experience in the sport, including Toni, a member of the Brazilian team that won the World Rafting Championships.

Fieke Reijntjes, the Lee Valley White Water Centre’s commercial manager, is also a member of the GB team that recently became World champions.

And it is clear that the Olympic legacy lives on.

Reijntjes said: “The legacy definitely lives here.

“The Rio course is still open but I don’t know many other centres where this is still available.

“Athens isn’t available anymore and neither is Beijing.

“And I’m sure this centre has been more successful than others because they made a really good plan that worked at the start.”

Olympians still use the Lee Valley White Water Centre for training on a daily basis.

Although white water rafting is not an Olympic event, canoeists and kayakers are still seen making their way down one of the world’s most challenging courses on a daily basis.

“Every morning and afternoon there are canoeists on the course and there are Olympians daily,” added Reijntjes.

“It’s quite unique here because even now you have Olympians paddling on the water every day, so the elite come here as well.

“We try to remind people that the Olympics was here, so there is the kayak that Team GB used to win gold during the Olympics hanging in the café.

“There are some photos in and around the place as well.

“You can see them on the water while you’re in action so that is really cool.”

A wide range of activities are on offer for people of all ages and abilities at the Lee Valley White Water Centre.

A beach and picnic areas are now dotted around the white water rafting course, while there is also live music regularly.

The Olympic venue has been transformed since London 2012 to attract more people to Lee Valley.

Reijntjes, who has worked at the Lee Valley White Water Centre for three years, confirmed: “It has changed a lot since the Olympics.

“The venue used to be bigger and the café was tiny but as soon as the Olympics finished everyone realised that this was going to be really busy, so they extended the building.

“The terrace used to be a lot smaller as well.

“Lee Valley was pretty much involved from the start but they still had to make it better. There is now a pavilion and a beach so we are keeping on developing so we make sure we do not only offer rafting people something.”