Silver Programme with Laura Sugar MBE at Red Kite Special Academy – March 2022

“It is never too late to start something new!”

Laura Sugar MBE, our fantastic Ambassador and Paralympic Gold Medallist in Paracanoeing at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, inspired the pupils at Red Kite Special Academy as part of our amazing Silver Mintridge Programme. Laura spent the day with the students delivering inspirational presentations and action-packed coaching sessions to give them an insight into the life of an elite athlete and Paralympian

Laura began the day with an inspiring presentation covering her sporting career across athletics, hockey, and Paracanoeing and shared her journey to success with the students, which they were surprised to hear was full of setbacks and lots of learning.

During her presentation, Laura wanted the students to think about how they can take every opportunity that is 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.

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

As part of our day, the students at Red Kite Special Academy were invited to take part in fitness sessions with Laura that worked on all the key muscles groups needed to be an elite level canoeist, which wasn’t just about working the biceps and triceps!

Throughout the day, the students asked some brilliant questions to Laura all about her journey and found out 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?]

Who is your idol?

Who inspires you?

It was a brilliant day for the students at Red Kite Special 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.

Laura and Team Mintridge had an amazing day with staff and students at Red Kite Special Academy and we are delighted that two of the students from the school will now be working with the Mintridge team for the next few months as part of our Silver Mentoring Programme. The two students selected from Red Kite Special Academy are very lucky that they could meet Laura during our day with them and will also now be calling with the amazing Nekoda Davis as part of our mentoring programme.

We can’t wait to follow the journey of these two mentees and we look forward to seeing their progress over the next few months.

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.

Team Mintridge

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.