Solid gold inspiration as true Olympic legend drops by for school sports day

IT is the stuff of golden memories but possibly also the kind of event in a young child’s life that they might look back at as a pivotal moment – a day when a glimmer of a dream was ignited. But all of that’s for the future.

For Sir Steve Redgrave, the inspiring moment came when he met an English teacher called Francis Smith. Smith was an enthusiastic rower, bringing the sport into young Steve’s Buckinghamshire comprehensive and encouraging the boys to have a go. The rest is legend.

As the rain pelted down outside and the nearby River Wharfe swelled, one Yorkshire primary school sports day moved into the hall for a more limited version of the usual races on the school field. Spirits were undaunted and not particularly dampened, though. After all, the country’s greatest Olympian had fought his way through the monsoon to be there.

Steve Redgrave – whom the Queen made Sir Steve in her 2001 Birthday Honours – has a certain special, gilded aura about him that quickly captures the attention of hundreds of children – even the fidgety ones. At 50, his 6ft 5ins frame is still handsome, strong and powerful. His manner is easy and laidback, a man with no starry ballyhoo about him. Adults and the very youngest in the room were equally transfixed by his account of how hard work seven days a week, 49 weeks a year in the run-up to five consecutive Olympic Games had secured him five gold medals, as well as many other international golds.

Teachers in the room were damp-eyed at the DVD re-run of Redgrave’s famous victories. Children from five to 11-years-old vied to ask him questions: which was his favourite medal? (the first, as it was the one that proved he could do it); how had he started rowing? (at the suggestions of an inspirational teacher); what was a gold medal worth (not much, it’s not even gold plated and anyway it’s about the work it took to win it and what it represents)... Good questions from bright children who’d done lots of homework on the distinguished visitor. They’d mounted a detailed wall display about his life and many achievements and even made him a commemorative medal of his visit to The Whartons Primary in Otley.

As a 10-year-old, Redgrave had watched in awe as US swimmer Mark Spitz smashed records and powered his way to seven golds. Looking back he says his sporting fantasies then were scoring an FA Cup-winning goal or possibly one day finding out what it was like to be on top of the podium at the Olympics. The FA hope is gone, but Redgrave’s dream of Olympic gold came true in 1984. In all he won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games up to 2000 as well as a bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Games, three Commonwealth Games gold medals and nine World Rowing Championships gold medals.

So here he is, on a disgustingly un-sports-friendly day in Yorkshire. Sir Steve is in Otley putting his energy and drive into a cause he believes in passionately: that of reaching as many children as possible with the message that physical activity and sport are part of general wellbeing and happiness and they need as much support as possible in schools.

Redgrave is an ambassador for the Matalan Sporting Promise, a programme that supports sport and PE activity in schools, working in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust. The programme, which is already active in 3,600 primary and secondary schools across the UK, provides dedicated PE training for teachers, whose qualifications only involved two days spent on PE. Apart from this help for teachers in making them more expert and confident in teaching sport and other physical activities, schools are provided with materials for activities which help children to acquire physical skills via game formats which they can lead and organise themselves.

“Sport and any physical activity is about putting in a lot to get a lot out of it. But it’s also about fun, inspiring teachers and improving their skill and confidence levels in teaching PE, and enthusing kids to do sport and have a healthy lifestyle for the rest of their lives.”

Two of Sir Steve’s own children have been inspired to take up serious sport – Natalie rows for Oxford University and Zak is looking at becoming a professional rugby player.

Sir Steve – who last rowed in the Gloriana row-barge in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee flotilla last month (“five and a half miles – the furthest I have ever rowed..”) – talks about the way sport transforms young lives, the reason behind his decision to support this campaign to get more children moving by emphasising the fun to be had from sport.

The Year 6 children (aged 10 and 11) get him involved in Chain Gang, a cross between rounders and cricket, where the whole team, not just the batting player, have to run around the bases before the bowler and fielders stop them. He acquits himself respectably, whacking the spongy ball into a far away corner.

But when it comes to making shapes in salsa dancing and devising a few new steps with the help of teaching assistant Tracey Reynard as his partner, he’s more energetic than artful. The Year 1s (aged five to six) around him have, in the meanwhile, figured out some highly elaborate sequences of mirror moves.

“I was involved in putting the ideas together for the Matalan Sporting Promise activities,” says Sir Steve.

“With primary school children we looked at breaking down the skills needed for traditional sports and came up with activities that teach and encourage those skills within a fun activity. We’ve had fantastic feedback so far, in the year the programme has been running.

“At primary level, it’s about getting everyone involved, all mucking in together, pupils learning to run some games and activities themselves, and general inclusivity.

“It’s not about turning everyone into serious sportsmen and women but involving everyone in movement and fun.”

It’s not often that we hear education secretary Michael Gove opining about the state of PE in schools. Does Sir Steve think the Government does enough to encourage our children off the sofa and does it give enough priority to support to sport?

“It’s not too bad, but we live in a climate of cuts, and sport is one of many areas in society that’s feeling the squeeze. That’s why we need more partnerships like this one with Matalan.”

He says the effects of such partnerships being committed to improving what’s offered in schools will be felt for the long-term.

The definite lift given to national sporting achievement by hosting an Olympic Games usually lasts until the next games after that, says Sir Steve, but we don’t want improvements made in schools which could be fostering the next generation of Olympians to fade away.

“Part of the legacy of an Olympic games is the human legacy, and when I was part of the team that went to Singapore seven years ago to secure the Games for London we pledged to engage youth in sport, here and worldwide. I believe in the good that sport does in terms of wellbeing, opportunity and inclusiveness.

“One of the ways we’ll be turning the games into long-term legacy is in the recruitment of 40,000 part-time volunteer coaches called Sports Makers to help youngsters to enjoy and achieve in sport.”

Sir Steve, who’ll be working for the BBC during the Games, and as a VIP has a free-to-roam pass for all Olympic venues, says he’s “jealous” of the current Team GB rowing squad but predicts great things for them.

“In 1908 our rowers gave the best ever British performance – four golds, three silvers and a bronze – and I believe this team is going to do better than that.”

With that, Sir Steve goes back to the task in hand – how to make the legs that helped power five Olympic golds do something passably rhythmic on the dance floor. The teacher stops and asks the children to take their own pulse and say if they feel their heart is beating faster.

“Mine’s beating faster from pure embarrassment,” says the Olympic giant.

This primary school already boasts an Olympian among its past pupils – cyclist Lizzie Armitstead is in the London 2012 squad. It’s possible that a morning of fun with Sir Steve will help to inspire another.

Olympian feats of Sir Steve

Steve Redgrave won many honours in his sport, including six Olympic medals – the famous five Golds and an often forgotten Bronze in the Coxed Pairs in 1988.

With partner Matthew Pinsent, he was the holder of the World Record in Coxless Pairs set in Lucerne in 1994 until 2002 and still retains the Olympic Record, set in Atlanta in 1996. Already established as the world’s most outstanding rower of all time after his Atlanta victory, Steve announced in 1997 that he had decided to carry on competing through to the Millennium Games in Sydney in the hope of winning a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal – a feat which has confirmed him as one of the greatest athletes in Olympic history.