Mintridge Bronze Programme with Laura Sugar MBE at Hazel Leys Academy – June 2023

“If I make a mistake or I come up against a challenge, I tell myself I can achieve from it and that I can always learn from it!”

It was another fantastic day for the Mintridge team and the inspirational Laura Sugar MBE, as we joined everyone for our Bronze Programme at Hazel Leys Academy following a tremendous day with Pamela Cookey earlier in the year.

Laura Sugar MBE, our inspirational Ambassador and Paralympic Gold Medallist in Paracanoe, inspired the pupils at Hazel Leys Academy as part of our amazing Bronze Mintridge Programme. This was our second visit to Hazel Leys Academy this year, and we are delighted that the students could meet Laura and spend the day learning from her story and getting active during her sessions.

Laura got the students thinking about how they can be resilient and take on new challenges during her morning assembly and throughout the day during her action-packed coaching sessions. It was brilliant for the students to gain an insight into the life of an elite athlete and Paralympian.

As an athlete that has competed at the highest level in Hockey, Para-Athletics and now in Paracanoe, the students gained so much knowledge from how she has adapted to these sports and the challenges that they have each presented during her time competing at the Paralympics and major world championships.

During her presentation, Laura wanted the students to think about how they can take every opportunity presented to them and find out what success means for them, so they can go on and follow their goals and have their own aspirations to work towards.

As part of our day, the students at Hazel Leys Academy were put to the test by Laura during her fitness sessions that worked on all the key muscles groups needed to be an elite-level Paracanoeist, which wasn’t just about working the biceps and triceps!

The students also asked Laura some brilliant questions about her journey and learned more about how she has gained success in and out of her sporting life. Some of the best questions from our visit were:
How did you feel when you won the race in Tokyo?

Do you have any favourite memories from the Paralympics?

Where has been your favourite place to compete?

Have you ever felt like giving up?

What do you love about Paracanoe?
It was a brilliant day for the students at Hazel Leys Academy, who really got stuck into the sessions we delivered with them and enjoyed meeting Laura during the day. Everyone received a signed autograph card, and Laura also signed some certificates for the students who had worked extremely hard in each session.

Every year we visit Hazel Leys Academy with our inspirational role models to support their students and encourage them to dream big. We are so pleased that we could be back again this year with Laura Sugar MBE and Pamela Cookey and we can’t wait to visit everyone again next year.

Thank you very much to the staff and students from Hazel Leys Academy for welcoming us back this year for two programmes. We will see you all again soon!

If you are interested in a virtual or physical Programme with Laura Sugar MBE or any of our other inspirational Ambassadors, then please get in touch via the Mintridge website or with Katie.

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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