On Monday 18th June, 24 Lower School sport scholars were inspired by their visit to Loughborough University where they participated in a series of interactive workshops and introduced to some basic fitness training. They were lucky enough to talk to a GB Paralympic cyclist and receive a guided tour of the campus and all of its top class facilities. Callum Roberts (Year 7) and John Dilks (Year 8) have both given a brief summary of the day’s events.
The day at Loughborough was full of exciting sporting events. We started off with a tour around all of its hi-tech gyms, sporting equipment and sports facilities. The gym was very impressive-a massive hall bursting with the latest treadmills, weights and much, much more. However my favourite was the athletics centre. It was truly magnificent! It had two parts, an inside one which was used for the pole vault, high jump and training for hurdles, and an outside one which was used for the running. We all stood in awe at this fantastic scene! We then stopped for a quick lunch break and after lunch were a series of fitness tests. We started off with the speed test, which had two lasers which triggered movement, to time us. Then it was the jumping test where we had to stand on a foam mat and jump, without tucking our feet in, and land back on the mat. Finally we had the flexibility test where we had to sit with our knees flat and stretch our hands out as far as possible. None of them were physically exhausting but still pretty nerve wracking. To end a fantastic day we played some ultimate Frisbee, which really was the icing on the cake!
I believe that having this day has really inspired me to aspire to my sporting ability, and truly try the hardest I possibly can.
Callum Roberts, Sports Scholar - Year 7
The thing I most enjoyed about the trip to Loughborough University was when we met a Paralympic cyclist as I really enjoy biking and she was a great role model for everyone. I learned a lot from her as well, what it takes to become an athlete and how it affects your social life. The athletics track was very good and the gym was very impressive. Ultimate Frisbee was a fun way to end the day. I am hoping that I can become a professional athlete and go to Loughborough University. It was a fun experience that I will never forget.
John Dilks, Sports Scholar - Year 8