Olympic hero Sir Steve Redgrave visits Chester high school

Oct 25 2012 Flintshire Chronicle

BRITAIN’S greatest ever Olympian, Sir Steve Redgrave, paid a visit to a Chester high school.

Sir Steve discussed how the proposed Redgrave Institute could work to create an opportunity for children in the borough to participate in his rowing programme at the Queen’s Park High boat house on the River Dee in Chester.

He talked to the group about how the institute that bears his name was keen to support sport within the community and ensure every child has the opportunity to experience and enjoy sport generally.

Sir Steve explained to the group that they regularly introduce sports programmes into schools across the UK only to find those previously not excelling in the traditional sporting fields possess great skill and strength in more diverse sports.

It had opened up pupils up to a new world of health, fitness and enjoyment.

With children having something new that they excel in, their own self-esteem and confidence as well as pride in their physical well-being all grow and rowing, as just one of those sports, has certainly produced many positive benefits for children who otherwise may not have had the opportunity to find a sport that they enjoy.

Queen’s Park High already has a budding group of skilled rowers and Sir Steve was delighted to meet them.

He applauded the coaches who have worked with their rowing group so far and was keen to provide more equipment and more coaching for teachers so they could teach more children and help to expose even more Olympic hopefuls.

Work on delivering the many sporting programmes within the Redgrave Institute is well under way from the new offices in Mollington which are across the road from the site where Sir Steve plans to house his 21st century vision for sport and well-being.

Sir Steve also took time to meet the heads of a number of Blacon and surrounding schools to explain how vital it was that his new institute became a hub that could provide every aspect of an integrated sporting programme.

That programme would include gymnasium training, rehabilitation centres, dietetic work and a full coaching curriculum to cover the myriad sports across the schools of Cheshire West.

The planning application for the student village, on green belt land between Blacon and Mollington – which incorporates the Redgrave Institute – will be heard in November.

If successful, work could start as early as 2013, with the proposed institute opening its doors in 2014.