A Sports Conference with a difference
Opportunities to learn from elite athletes do not come along very often. But Thursday 28th September was a golden day for Elise Mercer, Deputy Head Girl Seniors, and the St Augustine’s Priory Sports Captains and A Level PE students as they attended the 2017 GSA (Girls’ School Association) Girls Go Gold conference, an event promoting excellence in young women’s sport. Elise takes up the story:
‘We all attended the Girls Go Gold conference at Wimbledon High School. The conference gave us the opportunity for an inspiring day of elite sport, looking at what it takes to be a high performing athlete in today’s world.
There were a range of elite athletes who attended the conference to give their advice and share their expertise with the conference participants. We were fortunate enough to meet Olympic Hockey Gold medallist Crista Cullen, rower Helen Glover, former professional footballer Frank Lampard, swimmer Karen Pickering, England batsman Graham Thorpe and Surrey Storm Director of Netball, Tania Hoffman.
Crista Cullen Helen Glover Graham Thorpe
For me the most inspirational speaker was sprinter Montell Douglas. She is the former British record holder for 100 metres with a time of 11.05 seconds. Ms Douglas described how she faced adversity with integrity and how she was able to overcome her injuries and still achieve her goals.
Montell Douglas
As part of the conference each girl participated in a practical session with their respective elite athlete. This session was invaluable and gave us an insight into what being an elite athlete would be like and the dedication necessary to achieve your goals.
This conference was a brilliant event and an opportunity to meet and learn from athletes I would never otherwise have been able to meet.’
