Guest Swim Coach and Speaker – Duncan Goodhew (20/06/19)
We could hardly believe it when the good people at Swimathon approached us and asked us if we wanted a guest speaker for an assembly – GB Olympian Duncan Goodhew!
What could we say to that, apart from YES! Duncan, his PA and photographer arrived at the Westgate Centre to meet us at 08:25 on Thursday 20th June in time to set himself up and lead the swimming lesson for our Y4s! Duncan got in to the water with the children and was supportive, encouraging and inspirational – even leading a conga line in the shallow end with our least confident swimmers! He even handed out goggles to the few children who didn’t have any.
Following this, he came in to school and lead an assembly to the whole school for 35 minutes – talking about his life, how children should listen to teachers, how we should persevere and try to do our very best. Duncan talked candidly about his dyslexia and also how he lost his hair as he became a teenager. He also passed around his Olympic gold medal and an Olympic torch (from the 2012 Olympics).
He then spent half an hour talking to the Year 6s in greater detail about his career and dyslexia. As he was leaving, two of our athletes asked him some questions about their training and he stopped, at the door, and spoke to them for a further 15 minutes.
What an absolute legend!
Jessie Younghusband Primary School
Jessie Younghusband School is a local authority maintained, one-form entry primary school, located just outside of Chichester's city centre in West Sussex. We have a proud reputation for competing in sport - in particular running and swimming.