World Record Athlete Inspires NK Academy Students
Students at North Kesteven Academy got a surprise during their annual sports awards presentation evening on Thursday (27th June) when four-time Guinness World Record holder Fiona Oakes made a guest appearance.
The 49-year-old British long-distance runner, who holds four Guinness World Records for marathon running, visited the school to share her achievements and story with students before presenting them with awards during the annual sports presentation evening.
Fiona delivered an inspiring talk to over 180 parents and students who gathered at the school in North Hykeham to celebrate the sporting achievements of students from all year groups.
Despite losing a kneecap from illness when she was 17, Fiona still runs and has completed seven marathons in seven continents. In 2013, she completed and won both the North Pole Marathon and Antarctica Marathon. Fiona has completed the 156-mile Marathon De Sables through the Sahara Desert, and in 2018 she broke her fourth Guinness World Record by becoming the fastest female to run a half-marathon in an animal costume in Tromsø, Norway.
Fiona said: “It was a huge honour and privilege to attend NK Academy’s sports presentation evening and meet such an enthusiastic group of teachers inspiring the next generation of achievers.
“I am fully expecting to turn on the TV in a few years’ time and see some of that generation competing for GB and me proudly saying that I had the honour to present them with an award once!
“All the students are an inspiration and kudos to the PE teachers who are doing such a great job in making sure they know they can achieve anything.”
After delivering her speech, Fiona presented students with awards in different categories including: Outstanding Contribution in PE, Most Improved, Rising Star, Sports Personality of the Year and Contribution to School Sport.
Jo Tunnicliffe, Headteacher at North Kesteven Academy, commented: “It was an honour to have Fiona join us for our sports awards evening. We’ve received such positive feedback from both students and parents who were left feeling very inspired by Fiona’s story.
“Everybody was fascinated by Fiona and it was great to hear her answering lots of intriguing questions while giving out invaluable advice to our budding sports stars. It was a fantastic evening and I’d like to congratulate all our students who took home awards!”
To find out more about North Kesteven Academy, visit: http://nkacademy.co.uk.
Notes for editors:
- North Kesteven Academy was founded as North Kesteven Grammar School in 1961 and became a comprehensive school in 1970, by which time it had around 1,200 pupils.
- It became a grant maintained school in April 1992 and a foundation school in September 1999. A sixth form complex opened in 1999.
- The academy was formerly a specialist arts college in performing arts. As part of the commitment to the arts, the school’s arts complex was opened in September 2002, which includes the 200-seat Terry O’Toole Theatre. The academy also has daily use of the OneNK sports centre that boasts two swimming pools and state-of-the-art fitness and dance studios.
- The school was awarded academy status in 2011.
- For more information visit www.nkacademy.co.uk
