“Self-belief and mental health go up and down during your whole career, especially in sport. We are not immune to it affecting us.”

Thanks to the support from The Wilson Foundation, Team Mintridge had a fantastic day at Caroline Chisholm School as part of a very special programme with Paralympic gold medallist Laura Sugar MBE.

We were delighted to be able to visit Caroline Chisholm School with Laura, to help inspire their students to be the best versions of themselves and show them what they can achieve when they aspire to follow their passions and say yes to the opportunities around them.

“Whenever you have a down moment, and something is hard or difficult, you have to remember there will always be a way back to the top. Things will always get better.”

With years of experience competing for Wales and Great Britain, initially as a hockey player, then moving into athletics and now competing as one of the world’s best Paracanoe athletes, Laura was the perfect person to speak to the students at Caroline Chisholm School about chasing their own journeys to success.

Along her journey to being Paralympic and World Champion, Laura has faced many setbacks, which it was important for the students to hear during her presentation. Often they see the highlights reel and the medals along the way and not the sacrifices and challenges someone faced to get to that point. It was incredibly important for the students to hear Laura talk about how the journey to success is not just what you see on social media but also a journey full of ups and downs.

“Comparing yourself to someone else will not help you achieve YOUR dreams… Every day, I just try and do something to make me better, however small that is, as it soon adds up.”

After showing her Paralympic gold medal winning moment on the big screen, Laura passed around her gold medal for the students to feel and wear, which created a lot of excitement. It was especially exciting for the PE Department and their sports students at break time as they too got to try on Laura’s ‘very heavy’ medal!

During our day at Caroline Chisholm School, Laura put the students to the test in the gym and taught them her impressive gym routine along with showing them her pull-ups, which really challenged the students at the end of each session! Laura got them all thinking about the muscles that she would use as a Paracanoe athlete, which they were surprised to learn isn’t just about using your arms.

Throughout the remainder of the day, Laura led multiple amazing coaching sessions for the students, who loved learning about a new sport. Laura was extremely pleased to see the students working hard during the day and learning more about Paracanoe and what it takes to compete at the top of your game.

We are so grateful to the staff at Caroline Chisholm School for enabling us to visit them and for helping to organise this incredible day with Laura.

At The Mintridge Foundation, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to hear the stories and experience the power 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, can help you on your own journey and pathway to success.

We are very grateful to The Wilson Foundation for the support they have shown for the Foundation and the schools in Northamptonshire with their funding. Their support has helped support lots of young people through our programmes and especially help them raise their own aspirations on their journeys to success.

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

#TeamMintridge

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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