Cambridge University Rowing PowerHouse Games 2019
Cambridge University Rowing PowerHouse Games 2019
Power2Inspire was delighted to co-host the first ever Rowing Power House Games with the Cambridge University Women’s and Lightweights Rowing Clubs on Friday 27th September 2019. It was a morning filled with smiles, laughter, cheering, and fun.
Held at the Cambridge University Sports Centre, and sponsored by Hill, we brought together athletes from the women’s and lightweights blues squads, students from King’s Ely, Ely College and Highfields Special School, Ely and a corporate volunteer from Hill. In teams of six, split up from friends and colleagues, all the participants were taken out of their comfort zone and encouraged to form a bond quickly.
“Inclusivity is central to our squad culture and it’s a great privilege to work with Power2Inspire. We want to get more people involved with sport and seeing rowing as something they can do regardless of their background. Sport has done so much for us and opened so many doors, we want to help extend that opportunity to all. Engaging with the local community and having some fun while promoting healthy lifestyles is amazing.”
CULRC President, Teague Smith
This was the first time we had included rowing – in this case using rowing machines – in a University Power House Games, and it proved very popular, if quite tiring. Rowing for a minute facing one’s opponent, proved a real stimulus to the participants, but the relay brought out the real competitive edge. Urged on by Hill’s very own cox, Emma Fletcher, each team member had to row for a minute before being unceremoniously removed and replaced with another team member. The teams learnt quickly to have someone help with each shoe and the seat: the changeover became like F1 Pitstops and added to the spectacle!
“Hill have the core values of EPIC – Extraordinary, Proud, Innovative and Collaborative and the Power2Inspire event lived up to these and more! Team Hill were absolutely delighted to support this fantastic event and see the impact it had on all of the students. The transformation over the morning was amazing, the competitive spirit was strong and everyone, helpers included, left with huge smiles on their faces. Fantastic!”
Emma Fletcher, Hill
We are working on bringing all the participants back together to watch the Boat Races on Sunday 29th March 2020, to shout our new friends on to victory on the Thames and rekindle friendships built through sport.
If you, your school, club or university would be interested in a similar games day, please contact us to find out more.
”Thank you so much for including the club in the most incredible day last week. I know all the students absolutely loved the event and felt inspired and invigorated by being involved with something that was fun and inclusive. Apparently they were playing the goalball when they were waiting for their next training session.”
Chair of the Cambridge University Women’s and Lightweight Rowing clubs, Siobhan Cassidy
John Willis immortalised in Lego™
John immortalised in Lego™
John continues to inspire hundreds of young lives as he goes from school to school, meeting young children, sharing his story and his vision of a world where no-one is left on the bench.
But this is truly a first!
One of the kids at a recent PowerHouse Games was so impacted by John and his story that he went home and made a brick version of John Willis! We thought that was pretty cool so we wanted to share it with you.
We think it’s a pretty good likeness!
Well done John, and keep up the good work!
If you would like your school to host a PowerHouse Games please click the button to get in touch, and we can organise for John to come and inspire your schoolkids very soon.
Paralympic Week 2019 at Quilters Junior School
Paralympic Week 2019 at Quilters Junior School
For the second year running, Power 2 Inspire was privileged to help host the Paralympic Week 2019 at Quilter Junior School in Billericay, Essex.
It was great joining in with the children trying new sports with such enthusiasm.
Using sitting volleyball, the Paralympic sport Goalball, New Age Kurling based on curling, and polybat, a table tennis derivative, Power2Inspire taught the school that there is no such word as
“Can’t”,
just the phrase
“I can’t….yet!”
John joined in the activities showing the youngsters that disability need not be a barrier to participating. The pupils particularly enjoyed his sitting volleyball, seeing in action the benefits of practice, perseverance and determination. These lessons are easily transferred to the classroom – everyone finds some aspect of school life hard, it requires resilience, humour and perseverance to overcome these challenges. John provides a real life role model of this in action. He is an unforgettable role-model.
The pupils competed on Friday Finals Day in classes, with extra points for good teamwork, perseverance, bravery, determination, and caring for others, as well as winning the individual games. Class 6H were named Quilters Paralympic Week Champions 2019! And 10 pupils were rewarded for their “giving nature” with a Power2Inspire “Special Award” medal and a masterclass with Paralympic archery double gold medalist Danielle Brown, organised through the Mintridge Foundation and Steve Mitchell of Active Essex.
Over 200 parents, grandparents and carers were invited in to play these inclusive games with their children. There was much hilarity, laughter and many smiles, and the school’s community was strengthened and expanded.
The impact on the pupils was immense. Hearing personal stories from disabled athletes and ambassadors about resilience and determination, our pupils were utterly inspired:
Planning will soon begin for the 3rd Annual Quilters Paralympics. Every school should have one! Contact Power2Inspire if you want your pupils to share the experience those at Quilters had.