Team Mintridge had a fantastic day at Roundwood Primary School with double
Paralympic gold medallist, Danielle Brown MBE.

After discovering that during the COVID-19 lockdown, physical activity rates of young people have decreased, Sport England stated that there is an urgent need to support and encourage grassroot organisations to get everyone safely active in local areas over the coming months. Therefore we were delighted to be able to physically visit Roundwood Primary School with Danielle and encourage their students to get involved in a new sport and get active.

With years of elite International experience, Danielle was the perfect person to visit Roundwood and inspire the students during our day with them. At the start of the programme, Danielle delivered an incredibly inspirational presentation, that she made very interactive for the students to listen to during the morning. Danielle talked through her sporting journey to success, and the children were intrigued to learn how Danielle had started taking part in archery. Throughout this presentation, Danielle highlighted the importance of remembering that the journey to success isn’t straightforward and that you must never give up even when times get tough. The students during this presentation were extremely pleased and excited to see Danielle’s gold medals which she held up for them all to see, showing them that hard work can pay off if you dream big. Towards the end of this presentation, Danielle continued to motivate the students by telling them her favourite two words that have helped her on her own journey, which is “I can”. This made the students think about when they are next in a situation where they feel like they are struggling to believe in themselves and try again. At the very end of the presentation, Danielle left a lasting impression on the students and shared one of her favourite quotes with them which is…

“Work hard, dream big and never give up.”

After this wonderful presentation, Danielle led multiple amazing archery coaching sessions and the students were all very excited to get involved. After being involved in many intense competitions, Danielle spoke to the students about making sure you are calm, focused and determined to do well, even if you are under a lot of pressure. The students then got involved and tried out their own archery technique and Danielle was extremely pleased to see the students working hard to coach each other on the day and persevere when they missed the target. During these sessions, Danielle highlighted the importance of having a support network around you to support you on your journey to success, as they are what can make you a better athlete but also better person. The students thoroughly enjoyed the archery sessions Danielle delivered, with one of the students saying…

“I wish we could do this in every PE lesson!”

At the end of each of the coaching sessions, the students at Roundwood Primary School had some great questions to ask Danielle. Here were some of the best ones…

What is the difference between an MBE and an OBE?

What did it feel like to be in the Paralympics?

How long did it take you to learn archery?

Who was your opponent in your most recent match?

What emotions do you feel when you take part in archery?

What age did you start doing archery?

Who inspired you to start playing archery?

What was your proudest moment in archery?

How many times a week do you train?

Have you ever felt like quitting archery? If so, why?

If you had to pick another sport to compete in, what would it be?

We are so grateful to the staff at Roundwood Primary School for allowing us to visit them and for helping to organise this incredible day with Danielle. Team Mintridge look forward to returning again with Zoe Harrison in a couple of weeks’ time.

At The Mintridge Foundation, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to hear the stories and experience the power of our exceptional Mintridge role models have on the young people we work with. We know that having a role model who can support you, influence you and offer you advice that can help you on your own journey and pathway, can be extremely beneficial.

If you are interested in a virtual or physical Programme with Danielle Brown MBE or any of our other inspirational Ambassadors, then please get in touch via the Mintridge website at www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk or with Katie at katie@mintridge.org.uk.

The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities, and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.

Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as FitSwarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.

The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.

To find out more about the Mintridge Foundation, please contact Alex Wallace.

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