“Remember why you started and don’t give up when things get tough!" - Dan Powell Provides Support for Students During the Pandemic Via a Virtual Mintridge Programme Supported by The Wilson Foundation
Team Mintridge still feel very lucky that our amazing Ambassadors can inspire the next generation, albeit virtually. During a recent Bronze Programme at Corby Business Academy, our Judo Ambassador Dan Powell still managed to inspire and support the students at Corby Business Academy, as he was watched by over 685 students at the school, who viewed his programme from their homes, during the Pandemic. This programme was kindly supported by The Wilson Foundation, who really wanted to provide support for young people within Northamptonshire, during the uncertainty of the Pandemic.
According to Sport England, activity levels for the 16-34 age groups has continued to fall throughout the Pandemic.
This downward spiral has continued since the Pandemic by a further 2.6%, compared to this time last year. It is said that the 16-24 age group is driving the decreases.
This is why Dan Powell’s virtual presentation for the students at Corby Business Academy, came at just the right time, and helped support them through very difficult period of their lives.
Dan inspired the students with his wise words in relation to resilience and perseverance, and used his own story and sporting journey to help the students relate the messaged he was sharing, to their own lives.
Throughout Dan’s elite sporting career, he has dealt with many setbacks because of injury or not being selected for certain competitions. Like any other athlete, Dan had to be resilient and to accept that these things happen in order to become a better and stronger athlete. We know that the students at Corby Business Academy would be able to relate to Dan’s experiences and try and use some of his top tips and words of advice in their own personal and academic journeys. When talking about the Pandemic, Dan was very good at giving the students advice about how they could deal with uncertainty and make positive situations out of negative scenarios.
In his presentation, Dan also spoke about his visual impairment and how this affected him throughout school. Dan inspired the students through his story telling and made it very clear to them that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and you put 110% effort into everything you do. Dan related this again to his judo career, reinforcing the importance of always saying yes to every opportunity, as you never know the outcome and how far and successful you could be in that moment.
Dan also highlighted the importance of having a support network around you. He spoke to the students about his dog, Milo, and how grateful he is to have him, and he also spoke about his coaches, friends and family who have also supported him on his journey to elite success. Dan reinforced to the students that it is so important to have and utilise those around you, whether that is for help at school, at home or just asking for simple advice. From this, Dan also mentioned the importance of also appreciating those around you and how much they do for you, whether this is driving you to training, or a sports competition, it is equally as important to appreciate your support network, as without them, the road may not be as smooth.
As this was a pre-recorded assembly, Dan answered some of his most common and popular questions during his presentation, some of them are below;
What bit of advice would you give to someone who is thinking about giving up on a subject or a sport?
What do you do if you are having a bad day or if your day hasn’t gone to plan?
How do you cope with high pressure environments?
What is your proudest sporting moment?
What advice would you give students who may be feeling stressed at the moment?
What tips would you give young individuals to help them deal with times of uncertainty?
Thank you, Corby Business Academy, for taking the time to listen to Dan Powell’s sporting journey, we hope he inspired you to never give up no matter how tough things get. Thank you again to the staff at Corby Business Academy for helping to organise this programme, we hope to visit you again soon!
We are delighted that Corby Business Academy could benefit from this amazing programme that was kindly funded by The Wilson Foundation. They are great supporters of the work we do at The Mintridge Foundation and we are so pleased that this programme could still support the young people in Northamptonshire during the Pandemic.
To find out more about Mintridge’s work with The Wilson Foundation, please contact Katie at katie@mintridge.org.ukReference: The impact of coronavirus on activity levels revealed | Sport England
The Mintridge Foundation is a registered charity dedicated to enhancing life skills in young people through sport. We provide a support network for young people by harnessing the power of positive sporting role models. The Mintridge Foundation assists young people of all ages, abilities, and physical capabilities to develop confidence and resilience, and creates awareness of the importance of mental and physical wellbeing through sport.
Our team of Ambassadors - Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports, both team and individual - work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK. Starting with visits including assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions tailored to each organisation’s requirements, our ambassadors can then provide one- on- one remote mentoring in a safeguarded environment, delivered via technology such as FitSwarm and Playwaze to build a lasting legacy for individuals.
The Mintridge Foundation’s successes demonstrate the incredible power of sport; from a mentee’s selection to represent Great Britain in their chosen field to enabling disabled children to find confidence and happiness just through participation. Understanding life after sport, we also support our Ambassadors in their transition from active sport to the next stage of their careers.
To find out more about the Mintridge Foundation, please contact Alex Wallace.
