Written by Aneesa, Year 8
On Friday 9th February, I came to school in the early morning darkness, to get into a mini-bus to join girls heading to Sutton High School. It was Sports Scholars Day and a programme of activities had been set up to give GDST athletes inspiration, advice and a taste of elite training. Most of the girls took the opportunity for an extra bit of sleep on the 2-3 hour journey. Fortunately, there were no loud snorers so it was also a chance to think about the exciting things that lay in wait for us! When we arrived, lots of girls from other schools were already there and excited voices echoed around us.
My first session was strength and conditioning, where we experimented with new techniques. Next was the Hockey training session led by Shona McCallin – a professional hockey player who won a gold medal in the Rio Olympics in 2016. We learnt the importance of quick decisions and finding spaces. Somehow this seemed relevant not just for hockey but lots of other sports as well. The hockey session was pretty exhausting, so we were all glad that our fantastic hosts gave us an unforgettable and scrumptious lunch. As it was Chinese New Year – so there were fortune cookies in the mix.
In the afternoon, I had an important session on women’s health and sport, given by a British Championship swimmer – so we talked about menstruation and how to manage training and competition when you are having a period. The main message was that periods are your ‘superpower’. I have not thought about it that way before and certainly changed my perspective. The last session was for questions and answers. This was a great way to end the day with everyone joining in.
As we made our way back home, I reflected on the amazing day and shared stories about the different sessions. It was clear that everyone had come away with something special – which I think was the whole point of the day.
