April 22nd 2023
Role models are so important, and all our lives will have been shaped by those we respected and looked up to when we were youngsters. Exposing Moulsford pupils to positive role models is key and since March, our High Performance Lunchtime series have been following a theme of 'Inspirational Women'. Three exceptional women who enthused the boys last term were Jenny Robins, Sally Orange and Andrea Leadsom. For further details of their talks, please click here
On Wednesday, all boys in Years 3 to 8 listened to Stefanie Reid, MBE. Stef is a track and field paralympian who competes for Great Britain, mainly in the long jump and sprint events. A multiple medal winner at European and world level, Stef won a bronze medal in the 200m at the 2008 Paralympics and silver in the long jump at the 2012 Paralympics. Stef was also a semi-finalist on Celebrity MasterChef in 2018 and a quarter-finalist on Dancing on Ice.
Growing up, Stef was sports obsessed. However a boating accident as a teenager led to her right leg being amputated below the knee. Stef was outstanding at conveying to the boys the importance of maintaining a positive attitude to life, while also being honest about the challenges she faced and the obstacles she has had to overcome. Unsurprisingly, there were some very difficult times for her in the months and years following her injury.
There were so many highlights of Stef’s conversation with the boys, but two areas stood out for me. First the importance of taking opportunities. Stef’s mantra is that if you’re offered a chance to try something new, you should take it. The example she gave was being offered a random opportunity to compete in a Long Jump event at the end of a tiring competitive day of athletics. Stef had never tried this discipline on her artificial leg and didn’t know whether she could do it. It would have been easy for Stef to decline the offer and call it a day, but look where it led. Linked to this, Stef was also clear that if she feels scared or frightened about doing something, this is a red flag to her that (subject to safety) she ought to be doing it!
Second, Stef told the story of losing her medal from the Beijing Paralympics, in a house move. After several months the medal had not emerged, but Stef came to realise that the medal itself was not important, as it was simply a hunk of metal. The real value lay in the journey she, and others, had taken to win the medal i.e the time invested in her by others, the hours of training she’d put in, and the lessons she’d learned along the way. As it happened, the medal eventually reappeared!
Further inspiration for the boys can be found in two Moulsford mothers, Holly Frizzell and Hannah Morris, who are currently en route to Everest Base Camp, and in the process raising funds for Sobell House Hospice, and a range of children's charities via the St. James's Place Charitable Foundation. The Moulsford community has been fantastic in supporting Holly and Hannah, who are due to reach their destination on Sunday, complete with a Moulsford scarf! We wish them the very best in this extremely exciting and valuable journey.
