Olympians share secrets of success with rising stars at Yorkshire school
Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle and runner Roger Black will grace the stage at Ashville College's upcoming Speech Days, celebrating the triumphs of the 2023-2024 academic year. These annual ceremonies honour pupils who have made noteworthy academic strides and immersed themselves in enriching the greater school experience over the past year.
On June 27th, Beth Tweddle, an Olympic gold medalist and MBE recipient, will address Ashville's Reception and Prep School Speech Day. She aims to inspire young pupils to pursue their dreams with passion and determination. Tweddle emphasises the importance of enjoying one's pursuits as hobbies first, as she did with gymnastics before excelling at the highest level. Tweddle credits her parents for instilling life skills like communication, determination, and teamwork through sports. "Life is about ups and downs and how you pick yourself up after a disappointment," she says, highlighting the resilience required for success.
On June 29th, Roger Black, a silver medalist at the 1996 Olympics and fellow MBE holder will attend Ashville's Senior School and Sixth Form Speech Day. Black will share insights from his experience, drawing parallels between the worlds of sports and work. He believes that both realms involve overcoming adversity, adapting to change, being part of a team, and learning when to lead and when to delegate. He encourages students to seek out success actively, even if they have identified their talents. "Even elite athletes will have faced failure along the way, but that's not what defines them. It's how they adapt to those setbacks – and that's the same in all walks of life," he says.
Head of Ashville College, Rhiannon Wilkinson, expressed delight in being able to bring these UK sporting heroes to inspire pupils as they prepare for the challenges of university and entering the workforce. The school aims to provide a well-rounded education, encouraging students to try new activities and stretch themselves beyond their comfort zones. She said: “Both Roger and Beth have developed sound reputations for speaking on themes which echo the school’s messages both in the classroom and in assemblies. Of course, we try to give our pupils a good grounding in a wide range of academic subjects but our job is also to work with parents to encourage and inspire them to be future-ready – whatever that may hold".Former Ashvillian George Mills, son of former England football star Danny Mills, exemplifies this spirit. Despite his family's football background, Mills found success on the running track, recently winning silver over 5,000m at the European Championships in Rome and emerging as one of Great Britain's hopefuls for the Paris Olympics.
Through the speeches of Tweddle and Black, Ashville College hopes to motivate its students to embrace new experiences, overcome obstacles, and strive to be the best versions of themselves.