Olympic Medallist Inspires NK Academy Students
Year 10 students at North Kesteven Academy in North Hykeham got to hear about life in the fast lane when Team GB’s 400m sprinter and bronze medallist Anyika Onuora paid a visit to the school on Tuesday (5th March).
The 34-year-old British sprint track and field athlete from Liverpool visited the school as part of an initiative to get more students inspired to achieve their full potential through sport.
The #GivingBack programme is an initiative run by Inspired Through Sport – one of the leading supporters of British athletes in the UK.
Anyika delivered an inspiring talk to over 150 year 10 students about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the psychology of sport before leading them through an outdoor fitness session.
She also led several workshops throughout the day focusing on growth and aspiration, having the motivation to succeed and overcoming the barriers to success. At the end of the day students had the opportunity to partake in a Q&A session and admire Anyika’s medal collection.
Anyika was a member of the bronze-medal winning British women’s 4 x 100 metres relay team at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She also has a European gold and World Championship bronze medal to her name.
Anyika said: “I’ve had a great time sharing my sporting journey with the students – and it was lovely to see their reactions after showing them some of my medals. There was lots of enthusiasm amongst the students throughout the whole day, and I hope that in sharing my career with them I’ve inspired them to realise that they can excel at anything in life.”
Jo Tunnicliffe, Headteacher at North Kesteven Academy, said: “It was an absolute honour to have an Olympic bronze medalist here at NK Academy! There was a real buzz around the school throughout the entire day; all our year 10 students were off timetable and it was great to see them full of energy as they participated in different workshops around the school.
“Anyika’s visit was thoroughly inspiring; our students were motivated and were able to recognise the importance of a positive mindset with progress, both on and off the field. This comes at a crucial time for our year 10s who are already preparing for their GCSE examinations next year.
“On behalf of everyone at NK Academy we’d like to thank Anyika for taking the time to visit us!”
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
