Five-time Olympic gold medalist opens new school sports hall

A FIVE-TIME Olympic gold medalist opened a £24.6 million Cheltenham school sports hall yesterday.

Sir Steve Redgrave met with some of the 850 students at the official opening of All Saints' Academy, and as he opened the sports facilities, he tried out new equipment, including the rowing machines.

on the ball: Sir Steve Redgrave teams up with pupil Alex Regan for a game of table tennis
impressed: Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave meets pupils at Cheltenham's All Saints' Academy and gives the £24.6m new sports hall the seal of approval

The school, which has specialised in sports since 2000, reopened in September as a faith academy, taking in students from Christ College and Kingsmead School.

The 49-year-old sporting champion said the facilities at the faith school for 11- to 18-year-olds were impressive.

He said: "It is so important sports facilities are nice because the more inviting they are the more people will get involved.

"Most people don't come across rowing and so it doesn't have the stigma of other sports – like when you hear people saying 'I can't kick a ball'. Having a rowing machine indoors gives people the opportunity to join in.

"When I was at a junior school in Marlow the 1970s, we had a new-build and I know how nice it is to be in that environment. Even today I still feel ownership of that school because I was among its first pupils."

Vice principal Stephen Powell said: "Sir Steve Redgrave symbolises what we as a school are about – giving something exceptional. That is what we have here at All Saints'. The children here have something that no other children in Cheltenham have got. They take so much pride in wearing the uniform and our feedback shows they recognise they have something special here."

Niall Ferguson, director of learning for sport and science, said: "I have never met an Olympian before and meeting someone who has achieved so much is overwhelming for me, let alone the students."

Sixteen-year-old Agata Cyburska said she was using the rowing machines when the Olympian came over.

She said: "There was a bit of pressure as he is such a champion, but he walked past me and said 'good technique'.

"I am interested in rowing and do enjoy it, so it is good to be able to say I have met him and rowed in front of him."

Bishops Declan Lang and Michael Perham blessed all the classrooms in the new academy for the official opening of the school.

It has an indoor sports hall, all-weather football, netball and tennis pitches, fitness and dance studios, grass football and rugby pitches and an all-weather 100-metre running track.

All the sports facilities are open to the community.