Impressing GB Athletes

Year 10 Students Impress GB Athletes at Sports Fest

On Monday 19^th May 2014, 8 Year 10 Legacy Leaders headed to SportsCity, Manchester as VIP guests of Get Set to Make a Change. Nat Kyle, Melissa Humphrey, Beth Powell, Abbie Turner, Seb Speciale-Lee, Olly Godfrey, Tom Morrissey and Kieran McBeth won a competition to attend ‘Sports Fest’. The Year 10 students are ensuring that through their work, within Prince Henry’s High School and the local First and Middle schools, the Olympic and Paralympic Values are still valued and followed. Since Get Set to Make a Change was launched in September 2013 they have ‘Pledged’ to up hold these Values through sporting activities that they have helped to plan and lead. So far they have organised and run a Year 9 Interform Benchball competition. Marshalled the Middle School District Cross Country and helped to plan and lead the Inclusion Festival where 20 local schools attended. Through their work, Pledges and reporting they were selected by Get Set to have the opportunity to go to the Sports Fest.

SportsCity is a fantastic complex hosting numerous National Training Centres for GB teams and athletes. Sports Fest was organised to Inspire students to experience the exciting world of Paralympic Sports with many opportunities to have a go. On our arrival we were met by the Director of Get Set and he explained the itinerary for the day. The students were taken to the VIP lounge where they met Dame Sarah Storey, multi-gold medallist Cycling and Kelly Gallagher gold medallist in skiing from Sochi 2014. It was a privilege to meet them and the students have the opportunity to ask questions about their training, how they got into sport. The students were also quizzed about their involvement in sport and volunteering through the Get Set to Make a Change. Sarah Storey and Kelly Gallagher were highly complimentary and impressed with our Year 10’s and the work that they are doing through Get Set to make a Change and thanked them for their continuing involvement, especially with the Inclusion Festival. This was echoed by Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of the British Paralympic Association.

The rest of the day saw the students embark on Wheelchair Basketball, Tennis, Blind Football and Handball. They finished off the day with an opportunity to visit try out other activities that were being exhibited. The students were buzzing from meeting Sarah and Kelly and having the chance to hold gold medals, the Sochi one was especially grand and heavy! It also gave them the opportunity to see how their volunteering could progress and that their involvement in the Get Set programme continues to promote the Olympic and Paralympic Values. I was very proud to hear the GB athletes and coaches say how impressed they were with our students effort and commitment and that they look forward to hearing about their endeavours in the future.