By Natasha B (Year 9), Nicola H (Year 10) & Evie S (Year 10)

On the 11th February 2022,  a range of NHEHS athletes took part in the GDST Sport Scholars Day doing a range of activities to help with their Sports. Natasha and Evie (Year 9) and Nicola (Year 10) told us about their experiences.

I (Natasha) attended the Visualisation workshop as well as one on strength and conditioning and athletics. The Athletics workshop was run by Marilyn Okoro, an 800 and 400m runner who has participated in World Championships and Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics in the 4 x 400m relay. She shared with us a few drills to practise technique, talking through the importance of each one and we did a few running exercises followed by some dynamic movements and a plank off. She then did a short Q and A where she shared some aspects into what her life was like as a professional athlete and the mental battles she has had to face. One important thing I learned was how an 800-400m runner trains differently from how an 800-1500m runner would, and how by doing the shorter distances helped her build up her endurance. She also shared how she copes with nerves before racing and her approach to nutrition. The next workshop I went to was a strength and conditioning one. In this workshop I got to talk to other girls from GDST schools as we practised exercises to prevent injury using stretch bands and jumping. I learned that by using resistance bands to stretch your shoulder and leg muscles, you can help prevent injury. Overall, I found the day very enjoyable and interesting to learn about. It was also nice to see so many other teens passionate about sport.

As well as Natasha, I (Nicola) also attended the athletics session as well as a swimming workshop run by the swimmer, Jazz Carlin who competed in endurance freestyle events representing Great Britain at European and World Championships and Olympics, winning two silver medals at the 2016 Olympics. In the session, we focused on the freestyle stroke. She broke down the key movements of the stroke and we experimented with many drills to have a better understanding of the stroke. This session was very interactive and interesting. I really enjoyed this workshop the most and I felt she really has inspired me. My final workshop was also the self visualisation which was run by the British archer, Danielle Brown, MBE who has won gold medals at the Beijing and London Paralympics. She talked through the mental challenges which an athlete will face and how to overcome these. Danielle Brown gave us many techniques to get rid of the self doubt and anxiety which athletes face, whether it is before a competition or the disappointment afterwards. She taught us that by visualising yourself succeeding, it brings more positivity to the mind. I found this day really interesting and inspiring and I have learnt so many key messages from these athletes.

On the day, I (Evie) attended three workshops run by highly trained professionals with my peers. The first workshop I attended was a Nutrition workshop run by Performance Nutritionist Jodie Redgrave, who taught us how to ensure your body is fueled whether training, competing or resting. Jodie Redgrave works with the Mens GB Goalball team, and gave us tips to ensure our best performance. I also attended a workshop on women’s bodies and how to train without problems, with recommendations on how to deal with change in our bodies.

Overall, we all found the day incredibly inspiring and had a lot of fun. It was so nice to see other girls our age from schools so passionate about sport and to meet top athletes who gave great advice and tips to help us improve our own sports.