Quilters' Junior School Paralympic Week 2022

Our Chief Ambassador and Founder, John Willis, recently returned to Quilters’ Junior School in Essex, for their annual Paralympic Week. Quilters’ Paralympic Week celebrates inclusion, diversity and role models in a host of fun and accessible sports activities.

Taking place over the week, John hosted a series of accessible sports games, including new age kurling, sitting volleyball, sitting netball and goalboal for all year groups and classes to get involved with. Quilters’ pupils played sports in a competitive fashion, practiced resilience, teamwork and perseverance competing in fun games against other classes in their year group.

The week particularly focused on role models, with Mike Wade, Quilters Head Teacher introducing John as his inspiring role model. John encouraged pupils to live by his mantras; “never give up”; “practice makes progress”; and “I can’t do it… YET”.

By the end of the week, pupils were chanting this back to him.

The week also saw an exhilarating tennis competition between John and Mike, cheered on, in pantomime style, by lots of inspired pupils – although the tennis champion is still up for debate!

John Willis, Chief Ambassador and Founder said:

“I believe passionately everybody has the power to inspire. The pupils of Quilters Junior inspired me, each other and their teachers through their engagement, sportsmanship and leaving no-one on the bench.

We had another fantastic week at Quilters, and we’re already looking forward to coming back next year. It’s great to hear the students really taking on board my positive mantras, lots of children remembered them from previous years which is excellent.”

Lots of positive feedback has been received, with parents telling us how excited their children are when John visits the school.

One parent of a Year 6 pupil, said:

“I just wanted to say thank you so much for all that you have done over the last week.

“My son has been so inspired and engaged by John; he has talked about the sessions every day when he has got home, and has of his own volition been starting conversations with me about determination, perseverance and inclusion.

“As a parent, this is exactly what I want for my son – a mindset and inspirational figure that goes way beyond what school normally gives. So, thank you.”

Huge thank you to Quilters Junior School for hosting us, we look forward to returning next year.

Inspired? Then Get Involved!

If you are interested in hosting a Games2Inspire in your school / college / company / community group then we would love to hear from you. As you can read in our Latest News we have even found a way to make our Games2Inspire a success in lockdown so don’t hesitate to get in touch and we can help you plan your very own Games2Inspire!!

Click the button here to find out more.

John Willis

Founder & Chief Ambassador, Power2Inspire