Olympic athlete makes a visit to inspire schoolkids
Pupils from The Henry Cort Community College spent the day getting to know Olympic volleyball player Jake Sheaf, as part of Sky Sports Living for Sport’s Athlete Mentor project.
Jake Sheaf is one of 90 Athlete Mentors involved, and was assigned to The Henry Cort Community College.
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Hide AdJake Sheaf started playing beach volleyball at an early age while watching his mum Mandy represent England at tournaments around the world.
Jake started to take the sport seriously at the age of 14 when he was accepted into the U17 England squad.
Speaking about his role as an Athlete Mentor, Jake said: ‘I was personally really looking forward to sharing my experiences with the students and relating to the issues that they may be facing.
‘The programme is intended to give students the confidence to overcome anything and not give up on their dreams and I hope I can inspire them to do just that.’ Having spent the day with the Olympian, some of the students took some time to reflect upon what they had learnt from him.
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Hide AdEllie Cherrington, 14, said: ‘Jake really inspired me because he taught me not to let anyone or anything stand in your way if you want to achieve your dreams as he did.
‘His dreams became a reality and so can ours.’
Amy Gibbons, 13, said: ‘Jake has shown me how to believe in myself.
‘He has encouraged me to battle through the obstacles I may face to ensure that I will be able to conquer my dreams.
‘Everything that you do gets you closer to your goal – so never give up.’
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Hide AdSchool principla Claudia Cubbage added: ‘It is always a delight to have visitors into college to tell their story.
‘Jake was hugely inspirational and the students gained so much from working with him.’