A very special week in mid-June brought a flurry of excitement to Greenbank Preparatory School in Cheadle Hulme. Eagerly awaiting the start of the Tokyo Olympic Games, Greenbank decided to hold their own ‘Olympic Week’ event to harness their excitement and to inspire the budding sports personalities of the future among them.
Led by their own former Olympic contender, canoeist Malcolm Johnson, Greenbank welcomed stars of the sporting universe to their school in order to find out more about different sports and what life is like as a full-time athlete. Mr Johnson, who joined the school as Head Teacher in 2019, is a keen advocate of the importance of sport in the lives of children and young people. He explains ‘children can learn so much from sport that will enrich their everyday lives. Values such as teamwork, determination and self-discipline, as well as an understanding of how to respond to failure, are vital elements of a child’s education.’
The week began with a visit from former Greenbank pupil and gymnast Ellen Skelton, who shared her experience and took part in Greenbank’s Olympic Week opening ceremony.
Mr Johnson used his canoeing connections to invite Etienne Stott, 2012 Olympic gold medallist, to captivate the children with his tales and to give them the opportunity to see his prized medal.
Hurdler Andy Turner visited the children on Wednesday and had a fantastic afternoon with the Greenbank Year Six leavers, who were privileged to take part in a master class with Andy, learning the techniques needed to be a successful hurdler.
British cyclist Matt Ellis helped the juniors to harness their pedal power on Thursday, where a great afternoon of two-wheeled fun was had.
To round off a fun-filled week, another former Greenbank pupil and Olympic torch bearer Josh Kinder, returned to his school and took part in the closing ceremony, where the children wore the Olympic colours to celebrate their inaugural Olympic Week.
‘The whole week has been such a resounding success,’ beamed Sally Lochrie, Greenbank P.E teacher, ‘it will definitely continue to feature on our calendar going forward. It has just been fantastic to see the children embracing the values and ethos of sportsmanship and the benefits of this week will continue far into the future.’
