YASMIN CAMPBELL & CROWN HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE INSPIRE WHOLE SCHOOL WITH FENCING

On June 16th, GBR foilist Yasmin Campbell joined Official Training Partner of British Fencing Crown Hills Community College to officially launch a lifesize sticker piste at the school, inspiring the next generation of fencers in Leicester.

Yasmin Campbell visited Crown Hills Community College (CHCC) for a fun day of demonstrations, Q&A and interviews. The day provided an inspiring opportunity for students to engage in the sport of fencing and raised awareness of the partnership between BF and CHCC.

CHCC’s life-size sticker piste was launched with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony before Yasmin showed the students how fast she could move across it with some fast footwork. Yasmin’s Q&A about her inspiring journey, including her recent trip to the Tokyo Olympic zonal qualification competition, gave the CHCC students a true look into the ups and downs of life as a senior GBR athlete.

Yasmin shared how engaging with the young, aspiring students surprised her, “It’s something I haven’t previously experienced. I didn’t know what to expect coming in today. It was really refreshing to speak with these students. You realise the impact you can have and the thought processes that a student at that age has, what they want to achieve, the goals being endless.”

The impact of the day was immediately apparent as a young pupil told Yasmin, “I want to be just like you.”

Farhan Adam, Principal of Crown Hills Community College said, “We have unashamed ambition and aspiration for all of our students and staff. We truly believe that a future Prime Minister, Gold medal Olympian, Oxbridge graduate and next England captain will have attended Crown Hills. We launched the sports academy to put in place a programme that will give our students the best chance to succeed. It also emphasises the importance of commitment. Achieving success through our fencing programme will be gained less from intelligence and skill and more from hard work and doing what it takes for as long as it takes. I am delighted with the  partnership with British fencing which will help us achieve these ambitions for our students’’

James Craig, Head of Commercial at British Fencing said, ‘’Now in year two of the partnership, we have already seen amazing successes, such as submitting a girls team to the ’British School Team Championships in 2020’ where they beat a high profile independent school specialising in fencing and went on to win Bronze medals, all within 10 months of starting the partnership.

“The interactive space will encourage more students and staff to try a different way to travel through the foyer area at the school, encouraging students to be more active. Perhaps some will view themselves and their relationship to physical education, sport and physical activity in a different way. We know fencing is a catalyst to engage students and this is something we are building upon in the partnership, offering a full pathway of curriculum and extra-curricular swordplay clubs and fencing competitions’’.

Ian O’Flynn- Assistant Principal for PE and School Sport said, ‘’It has been a very tough year for everyone, yet sport continues to play an important role in this country. As a nation, we are already excited about the Euro20 football finals being played at this moment and look forward to our country doing well at this year’s Tokyo Olympics as well as the Commonwealth Games next year in Birmingham. Our commitment to school sport and student leadership is huge here at Crown Hills. As the senior leader with overall responsibility for this programme I am delighted with our relationship with British Fencing and look forward to many years of year-on-year success as a result and to Crown Hills students competing at future international games! ’’

Thanks to The National Lottery and UK Sport Aspiration Fund for supporting inspiring moments like this.

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