Archives for Month: March 2015

GB Olympic hurdler Meghan Beesley motivated Perry Beeches Infant School to love sport and make it part of their healthy lifestyle. After an intensive but thrilling exercise session, Meghan shared her experience of being an athlete and all her ups & downs along the way. All the children were shown what hard work can achieve and were inspired to try their best at everything they do.

The event also raised money for new PE equipment for the school.

One of the pupils at Perry Beeches said, “I just loved the day when Megan beesly came it was great! The best exercise was the star jumps because they were the easiest to do.I just loved the coach because she was loving and kind and the best coach I’d ever had. When I grow up I would like to be like Megan Beesley because she was so good at running and hurdling – all I want to say is a big well done to…MEGAN BEESLY!!!!!” Read more…

Two-time Paralympic medallist Ben Rushgrove put forward the challenge of an intensely fun fitness circuit to Holy Family Catholic Primary school…and they jumped at the opportunity!

Ben Rushgrove, who has cerebral palsy, runs in the T36 classification and secured 100m silver at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, before grabbing 200m bronze in London four years later. In his morning session with the 300-plus pupils, Ben led fitness circuits, consisting of press-ups, leg drives and star jumps, before answering questions in an inspiring assembly.

“The children loved it,” said Catherine Bruce, the school’s head of sport. They were really enthusiastic about it and showed some real interest in his assembly with questions about how he had become a Paralympian. “They felt very privileged and very special to have the chance to hold the medals.”

Ben said he was using his school visits to connect with the youngsters and break down any perceived barriers to elite sport. Check out what he said:

“Each school has its own unique standpoint on things. It’s part of my job to figure out how to pick the activities suitable to that hall and that set of kids. The benefits can be lots of things. For some it’s just getting a little bit of exercise in the morning to start their day. Some of them will sit in assembly and think this is cool, I want to do this more. Some kids come up at the end and say they are inspired by this. I’m trying to make it more like something that anybody can get involved in and anybody can do. I’m not trying to inspire all the kids to become sprinters or athletes because I know that’s not possible. Of all the children I see across the country, only one or two might have the talent to run internationally. I want to inspire them to be the best they can be.” Read more…

Paralympic star Katrina Hart paid a visit to Shaw Ridge Primary School to inspire the next generation of athletes. The sprinter, who won a bronze medal at the 2012 London games, went to the school to lead a series of workshops with each year group.

Shaun Carter, the school’s PE co-ordinator, said: “It was really good and the kids were brilliant. The reason we wanted to do this was to inspire the children to reach their goals and achieve many great things.”

The event has raised money for Shaw Ridge Primary School to buy new sports equipment. Shaun said: “This is a huge thing for us going forward and will provide a welcome boost.”

James spent the morning with each class in the school, leading them in a variety of fitness exercises and talking about how he began a career in sport.

James inspired all the children in a full school assembly where he shared his diving experiences…competing alongside Tom Daley, winning a Silver Medal in the Commonwealth Games and his future hopes of competing for Great Britain in the Rio Olympics in 2016. James even treated the school to a few acrobatic skills!

The event has helped raise money to buy Fishergate some new PE equipment to keep active all year round! Read more…

Paralympic swimmer Rachael Latham paid a special visit to Grange CE Primary School.

Rachael, who competed in Beijing 2008, led the whole school in a fun fitness circuits and also gave an assembly to everyone about her career and achievements. She spoke about how by giving 100% effort, children could also achieve their potential.

Lisa Phillips, the school’s PE co-ordinator, said: “All the children also had the opportunity to ask the athlete questions.”

The event helped raise money for Grange Primary to buy new PE equipment to use all year round.

Rion Pierre inspired children and staff on a visit at Emsworth Primary School as he told the story of his life leading to his athletic achievements as a GB sprinter. As a youngster, Pierre was a good footballer and was signed by Chelsea – before changing sport and discovering his talent as a sprinter.

The children were amazed by his medal achievements and wanted to know what it was like to run against Usain Bolt. Pierre talked about the importance of perseverance and resilience in his career and then challenged some of the children and staff to a race.

The event also helped to raise money for new sports equipment for the school.

Paralympian sprinter Ben Rushgrove put children at Walwayne Court School in Trowbridge through their paces by leading them through a fun-filled fitness circuit.

Ben, who has cerebral palsy and runs in the T36 classification, won a silver medal in the T36 100m at the Paralympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and a bronze in the 200m at the 2012 Summer Paralympics.

Dave Finlay, the PE co-ordinator at Walwayne Court School, said: “It was a brilliant day and the atmosphere was fantastic. The children really enjoyed the circuits and hopefully we managed to raise lots of money. Ben started off with the older children in the hall and then we had the other year groups get involved. Ben would often join in with them and there was lots of cheering as the count down towards the end of each circuit started. After the circuit training, Ben gave an assembly to the school and spoke about winning his medals and his disability. His motto is ‘be the best you can be’ and that links with the school’s own message.”

The sponsored event has helped to raise money for new sports equipment for the school to use all year round. Read more…

Paralympian Ben Rushgrove visited Leaden Hall School for a fun-packed fitness circuit and inspirational assembly.

Ben is a sprinter with cerebral palsy, who has set a world record for T36 classification 200m, and has won silver and bronze Paralympic medals.

At Leaden Hall he led a stimulating assembly where his enthusiasm was overwhelming, and he then passed his Olympic medals around so every child got to hold one. The girls and staff then took part in a sponsored exercise event with Ben teaching them seven different exercises, from burpees to jumping lunges.

The scheme, run by Great Athletes, encourages young people to live a healthy life and enjoy physical activity to gain a sense of achievement and boost self-esteem. The sponsorship money raised is split to provide sports equipment for schools and to support international athletes.

Head of Sports, Jaci Langhorn, said: “It was such an inspirational day for our up and coming athletes here at Leaden Hall. Ben is a fantastic ambassador for sport and we were so lucky to meet him.”

The Year 5 and 6 girls had the opportunity to put his advice into practice when they took part in the cross country relay at Clayesmore. Out of 40 participating teams, Leaden Hall’s A team finished in third place.