Farmer’s amazing tribute to Usain Bolt

Midlands farmer Tom Robinson has created an amazing tribute to Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt by carving a giant image of the world’s fastest man in his 15 acre field of maize at the National Forest Adventure Farm near Burton on Trent. The pathways form a giant maze which visitors can explore.

Olympic and six times Commonwealth Gold medal Jamaican sprint legend Donald Quarrie, who is Technical Leader for the Jamaican Olympic track and field team, took time out from the training camp at nearby Birmingham University to travel to Burton on Trent to officially launch the maze. Quarrie took a helicopter flight over the National Forest Adventure Farm Maize Maze to view the giant image of Usain Bolt.

Says Don Quarrie, "I'm delighetd to be here to launch the Usain Bolt Maize Maze. There are lots of man made things, but this a natural living thing, it has been growing slowly into something that is greatly appreciated and symbolic."

Says Tom Robinson from the National Forest Adventure Farm, “I’m a massive Usain Bolt fan. With the games coming to London this year I wanted to create an amazing tribute to an amazing athlete. When I was planning the maze I had a dream that Bolt ran the 100m in a record time. So I’ve stuck my neck out and carved that time into the maze. Whether my dream comes true I don’t know, but I do know we’re going to see a thrilling 100m final.

“We have faced our own Olympic challenge to get the maze cut out with all the rain we’ve had. The crop is only half the height it would normally be by now and we have had to delay opening by two weeks. However it still makes a great maze for visitors to explore and it will continue growing throughout the summer.”

Visitors have to navigate their way around the giant image of Usain Bolt carved into the field of maize. The image of Bolt stands the equivalent of over 150 metres tall and he is depicted pulling his famous pose. The 15 acre maze, one of the largest in the world, includes over 5km of pathways. Visitors have to navigating their way around the maze to find information points where they will discover amazing Olympic facts to complete a quiz trail.

The Amazing Usain Bolt Maize Maze at the National Forest Adventure Farm opens on Saturday 28 July. Admission to the Maize Maze is included with Admission to the National Forest Adventure Farm.