Dame Kelly inspires 2,012 pupils

By Keziah and Amrita
School Reporters, Mayfield School, Essex

National Sport Week aimed to increase the amount of sport children do each week and to celebrate what children have been doing in PE during the past year.

At Mayfield School we worked alongside 32 other schools in Redbridge to raise awareness of the value of sport.

In total, 2,012 children from these schools were selected to wear special T-shirts, numbered one to 2,012, to mark the Olympic Games to be held in London in 2012.

These children were selected because of their sporting ability, if they attend sports clubs or had represented their school in competition.

Pictures were taken of the 2,012 children.

Inspiring young people

The first and the last person had their photo taken next to Olympic double gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes, national school sports champion.

The photos will be put in order to create a banner that will be displayed around schools in Redbridge in September to show 2,012 children saying: "Yes to sport!"

In early July, Kelly went to Woodlands Primary School to have her photo taken with the first and the last person to be featured on the banner.

Kelly got involved with Woodlands Year 1 Multi-skills Day during her visit and School Report took the opportunity to sit down and catch up with one of Britain's best known athletes.

Inspiring young people to participate in more sporting activities is top of Kelly's priority list, but she feels the public also plays a huge role in helping to inspire kids.

Kelly emphasised how being in the Army for nine and a half years helped her gain the skills vital to becoming an athlete, teaching her confidence, discipline and respect. If she had not become a professional athlete she said she would have stayed in the army.

Kelly remains positive that in Beijing 2008, Great Britain will be able to pick up its target of 35 medals, particularly in the cycling and rowing events.

Kelly said the highlight of her career was winning two gold medals at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, as it really showed that if you were determined, you could make it.

She said she was a strong believer in supporting charities because people who did charity work were volunteers and they should be given credit for all their hard work and commitment.

One of the charities Kelly supports is Dreams Come True, which helps to fulfil the dreams of terminally ill children. One example is the dream of some children to swim with dolphins.

Shortly after she retired in 2005, Kelly took part in Dancing on Ice and described her time on the show as a challenge.

Kelly said she would have liked more time to train as she was used to running on her toes and switching to ice skates had been hard.

We also managed to get an insight into the inner Kelly Holmes, for example her passions for painting, decorating, cars, interior designing and Sudoku.

The day was fantastic and everyone who helped to organise it was exhausted, but the children had a really good time.