Aspire! Achieve! Acclaim! Double Olympian, Marilyn Okoro OLY leads Mintridge Bronze Programme at the Ferrers School, July 2021
Aspire! Achieve! Acclaim! Double Olympian, Marilyn Okoro OLY leads Mintridge Bronze Programme at the Ferrers School, July 2021
If there is one person that can help motivate and engage young people as they return to play following the pandemic, it is the lady with the infectious energy that we call Marilyn Okoro OLY. What a better time to do it at the Ferrers School than on Careers Day so that the Double Olympian was able to share her career journey too. According to the BMJ Journals, the majority of studies reported increases in sedentary behaviours during their respective lockdowns across several populations, including children and patients with a variety of medical conditions.
Mintridge Foundation Ambassador and Olympic Bronze Medallist (4x400m), Marilyn Okoro made her way to the Northamptonshire school, the Ferrers on Tuesday 6th July to work with the Year 10 students throughout their school day, and boy did she put everyone through their paces in the first four sessions.
Marilyn looked at arm and leg technique with each of the Year 10 groups after a dynamic warm up to help develop an improved running posture but furthermore, Marilyn was able to share her insight into a CHAMPION MINDSET and getting comfortable being uncomfortable. Individuals responded incredibly well which was demonstrated when the racing came in and the competition fired up!
The practical sessions ended with a medal presentation to those that impressed Marilyn with their performance and attitude but Marilyn made it clear that:
“My life isn’t measured in medals. ”
Marilyn shared her journey from growing up in North West London to the crazy heights of the Olympic Games and the setbacks that were a’plenty in between before allowing time for questions, photos and the highly sought after autographs.
Lunch soon beckoned and during this time, it was brilliant to meet the other speakers that were inspiring the Ferrers students from a multitude of industries. This gave a huge diversity of ideas and options for the Year 10’s as they start to think about their future. The Police, Upcycling Designer, Max McMurdo, Personal Training and so much more!
The final session of the day brought Marilyn indoors (avoiding the impending rain) as she spoke to her final group of the day with an inspirational presentation. Here, the 5 time National Champion was able to delve deeper into where the simple of joy of running and raising her aspirations has taken her. The final part of the session enabled Marilyn to speak to the students on a one on one basis, giving them the confidence to explore the mindset concepts in more detail before the inspirational day drew to a close.
Thank you very much to the staff and students at the Ferrers School for welcoming Team Mintridge, we can’t wait to continue our work together as we harness the power of positive sporting role models to enhance life skills in young people.
YOU CANNOT BE WHAT YOU CANNOT SEE.
If you would like to understand more about our mentoring programmes with elite athletes and how they can support the young people at your school or club, please contact Katie Smith.
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.
The Mintridge Foundation
Unit 4, Shieling Court
Northfolds Road
Corby
Northants
NN18 9QD
Tel: +44 (0) 1536 447106
