Britain’s Duchess of Cambridge loves the "physical challenge" of sport.
The 34-year-old royal is a keen sportswomen herself and has praised sport for bringing a team together and for the "mental strength it gives us all".
Speaking at SportsAid’s 40th Anniversary dinner, she said: "Some of you may know that I love sport. I love cheering on teams and athletes that I am passionate about. I love the physical challenge sport presents and the mental strength it gives us all. And I love the way it so often brings people together to work as part of a team.
"The brilliance of SportsAid is in really understanding just how much athletic competition gives to our country as a whole. By investing in young sporting talent, they ensure that there is a strong pipeline of inspirational heroes. These athletes then serve as motivators to everyone in the UK to get involved, get active, and embrace the power of sport to make us happier and healthier."
And the Duchess – who has Princess Charlotte, 13 months, and Prince George, two, with her husband, the Duke of Cambridge – is looking forward to watching new sporting talent at the Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil later this summer.
She added: "With little over 50 days to go until the Games begin in Rio, the next Olympiad is almost here. As we did in London in 2012, we will see a new generation of sporting stars emerge into the spotlight … We cannot wait to meet the next SportsAid champions."
Duchess Catherine has been a patron of the SportsAid charity since 2013.