On Thursday, 14th September, a group of high-performance athletes from the Lower Sixth travelled to The Abbey School for the annual GSA Girls Go Gold event.
The day was filled with exciting opportunities to listen to some incredible sportswomen, aiming to inspire the next generation of young athletes.
Among the inspirational speakers were Dame Katherine Grainger, Chair of UK Sport and Rowing Olympic Gold Medalist; Kelly Simm, a prominent GB Gymnast; Zainab Alema, Trustee of the Muslim Sport Foundation & Founder of Studs in the Muds; Jenny Miton, Director & Women’s Sport Lead at M & C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment; Sarah Hunter CBE, a former England Rugby Captain and the most capped women’s player and Dame Denise Lewis, President of the Commonwealth Games England and Heptathlon Olympic Gold Medalist to name a few.
Rhiannon Douglass reflected on the day: “Girls Go Gold was an amazing opportunity to hear from inspiring and successful women from all aspects of sport. The day was very well planned out and I found all the talks so interesting. My favourite part was at the end when all the students who were part of the day came together to ask questions of the speakers. I was very grateful for this opportunity as the day really exposed me to sport from different perspectives and educated me about things I didn’t know, whether that was through moving stories, experiences and knowledge on all different topics. One thing all the speakers had in common was that they were all so passionate about what they were doing or had done and achieved. They inspired the next generation of sportswomen in the room to believe in themselves and to put in the work because they had achieved their dreams, and it wasn’t easy.
“We also had the chance to take part in a training session in the sports of our choice with professional sports players, as well as girls from other schools who were also passionate about their sports. Having this experience allowed me to share my sports knowledge with others and improve further.
“Being able to hear about different women’s experiences of wanting to play the sport they love but possibly having limited opportunities really inspired me to keep persevering, even despite the setbacks I might face, not just in sports but in everyday life. It allowed me to believe that I too can achieve my dream.”
