Kentish Express Ashford & District
Paralympic rower gives pupils the will to succeed
tcollins@thekmgroup.co.uk A FORMER world champion and Paralympian rower has been speaking to pupils at an Ashford school about his experiences.
Alastair McKean lost most of the use of his right arm in a motorbike accident.
Pupils at The North School were specially selected by their teachers to take part in the national Living for Sport project.
Alastair started rowing as a junior in 1994 at Herne Bay Amateur Rowing Club but lost 80% of the function in his right arm after a crash in 1999.
Despite all the odds he bounced back, often beating more able bodied competitors.
He said: “Meeting the teachers and the pupils involved was truly inspiring. My role is to motivate pupils to be the best that they can be in all areas of their life.
“I do this by running a mixture of different sporting activities for them and by sharing own experiences as a professional sports person. I told the pupils about my own story of overcoming difficulties to excel in my chosen sport, rowing.
“The pupils I met on this visit were a credit to the school and, as is so often the case in this job, I came away from the school feeling incredibly inspired myself.”
Living for Sport is a free UK secondary schools initiative developed by Sky Sports television with the help of the Youth Sport Trust.
The project uses sport stars and sport skills to boost confidence, change behaviours, increase attainment and improve life skills.