Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Hundreds of excited youngsters at Devonshire School in Blackpool were joined on their custom-designed Zoneparc playground yesterday by Olympic gold medallist Denise Lewis.
Denise, who won a Heptathlon Gold Medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, was in town in her role as Zoneparc ambassador for the Youth Sport Trust. Denise played with the children as well as met teachers and staff to discuss the benefits of the Zoneparc playground. She also performed the official opening ceremony for the school.
This special day celebrated the school’s commitment to playground development and embracement of the Zoneparc playground not only during playtimes and lunchtimes but also during PE lessons.
The former elite athlete is passionate about helping children enjoy the benefits of sport and physical activity in a fun, engaging environment. Denise said:
“As a mother, I understand that for some children the playground can be a daunting place. Zoneparc has had some great successes in reducing common problems associated with playtimes as well as being an important step to help get all young people active.
I’m really excited to meet the people from Devonshire Primary School as part of my work with the Youth Sport Trust, and give them my support. I hope my visit will inspire them to continue this important work developing our young people.”
Neil Hodgkins, Headteacher of Devonshire Primary School, said:
“I am delighted that we have such a high profile athlete visiting the school. All the children are very excited about having the opportunity to show her their playground and are looking forward to asking her questions about her new role. We are also honoured that Denise has agreed to officially open our new school.“
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