Olympic gold medallist Mark Lewis-Francis was the perfect spur for youngsters when he dropped in to his former high school in West Bromwich to promote a week of events designed to encourage youngsters to participate in their annual school sports day.
Lewis-Francis was back at George Salter School as part of National School Sports Week which aims to keep school children interested in sport while also staying fit and healthy.
The 26 year-old Darlaston-born sprinter got a glimpse of some of the talent of the future by overseeing school races and also watched a physical education class during his visit.
The campaign will target some three million children and is being backed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Sports Ambassador Dame Kelly Holmes.
For Lewis-Francis it was also an opportunity to thank the staff who aided his track and field career when he first took to running at the age of 13.
He said: “It is great to be back at my old school during such an important week – I had an amazing response from the children.
“Sport has been such a really important part of my life and I am delighted to be able to take part in an event aimed encouraging others to follow in my footsteps.
“The school were great to me when I first took up running – giving me time of from lessons to train and compete in competitions.
“For me I started school with nothing and yet I went on to become an international athlete so it is proof it can be done it you work hard. This visit is my way of thanking the school for its support.”
