“All you need is a pair of trainers and off you go!” – Iona Lake joins the students at Warboys Primary Academy for their TCS Mini London Marathon
If you want to get a whole school excited for a TCS Mini London Marathon then we highly recommend you invite the inspirational Commonwealth Games steeplechase competitor, Iona Lake, to visit your students!
Warboys Primary Academy did just that on our most recent visit and called upon Iona to lead a fantastic Bronze Athletics Programme in preparation for their whole school TCS Mini Marathon. Iona spent the day inspiring the students to be the best versions of themselves during their day of challenges and beyond.
According to recent research from the Youth Sports Trust, there’s still some way to go to build an understanding of the importance of physical literacy and ensuring children are sufficiently active throughout their day. The Mintridge Foundation is determined to change this narrative and one way of achieving this is through using moving with sporting superstars to help young people develop their mental fitness superpowers!
“I started off in the very spot that you are now. I wasn’t very good at running and each year I would only make a few small steps to being better. That is how I made it from being 150th in my race to 2nd, hard work and small steps!”
—Iona Lake
During the morning presentation, Iona shared more about how her running experience and the opportunity to go to the Commonwealth Games linked to the school values of Pride, Warmth and Aspiration. It was inspiring for the children to learn how Iona had made it to the top of her sport with only a pair of trainers and a positive mindset, which is something they all have access to.
Iona spent her day echoing the need for the children to keep working at the small steps and challenged their thinking and footwork during the coaching sessions throughout the day. They all got an insight into what training Iona completes on a daily basis and why their perevereance and hardwork can really pay off, even in short bursts of exercise.
“The more we challenge ourselves, the more opportunities we have to learn from. It is really important to set ourselves those challenges and goals so we can keep working at our best or learn to be even better than yesterday!”
— Iona Lake
It was very special for us all to witness the hands shoot up at the end of Iona’s empowering presentation as the students took the opportunity to ask Iona some great questions. Some of the best questions were:
What was the first race you ever won?
How did you injure yourself?
Do you have any goals now?
Who inspired you to start running?
How deep is the water in the steeplechase?
Are you faster than Usain bolt?
How long have you been running for?
What is your favourite thing about competing in the steeplechase?
Although the students wouldn’t be competing in the steeplechase, they were going to be spending the afternoon competing in the TCS Mini Marathon to raise funds for their school. Therefore, Iona’s coaching sessions were the perfect warm-up to get everyone ready to challenge themselves one step at a time.
In each of her sessions, Iona stressed the importance of getting the basics right and being disciplined in your actions. This was definitely something all of the students could do in their lessons and hobbies outside of school. Iona also shared a signed autograph card with the students at the end of each session and a certificate and medal with two students who had worked extremely hard during their time with Iona.
We were delighted to see fellow Team Mintridge Ambassador, Justine Lucas’s mentee, Darcie during one of our sessions and she also won another certificate from Iona Lake too!
Darcie has recently completed a six-month mentoring programme which even included a trip to the TikTok Women’s Six Nations as mascots!
We concluded our day as top cheerleaders for the TCS Mini Marathon which included the whole school running 2.6 miles around their local village and supporting each other every step of the way. Iona started the race for the school students and then joined them for a couple of laps before cheering them all the way to the end. A fantastic afternoon to showcase the power of sport and community.
Thank you very much to Mrs Ford and the Warboys Primary Academy staff for welcoming the Mintridge Foundation back and we can’t wait to continue our work this academic year.
In the meantime, we really hope that you all enjoy the rest of the school year and keep taking one step at a time!
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.
If you are considering supporting the Mintridge Foundation as a business, organisation or as an individual, head to our SUPPORT US page below.
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
www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk
