Tennis star Alfie Hewett inspires our pupils

On the 18^th October, Charles Darwin Primary received an exciting visitor! Alfie Hewett, GB Paralympian and Tennis Star, Alfie was an inspiration to pupils and helped award our S.H.I.N.E certificates in our celebration assemblies.

Our pupils were excited to meet the sports star and hear stories about winning his Paralympic gold medal in Paris, the determination and resilience he needed to get to the Paralympic games and the joy of his success. Alfie is the current world No.1 in both singles and doubles and picked up silver medals at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Alfie’s visit to the school came as part of ‘Dreams Sleep Pledge’, a series of events hosted by Dreams where pupils were encouraged to create improved bedtime routines. Actions like reducing screen time before bed and increasing physical activity during the day can lead to better sleep at night.

Alfie said:

“I’ve learned that success, both on and off the court, is about more than just physical training or mental toughness. It’s about how well you can recover, reset, and approach each new day with energy and positivity. For me, that all comes down to what sort of night’s sleep I’ve had.”

Alfie presented awards during our celebration assemblies for both KS1 and KS2 and inspired our pupils, there was a real buzz of excitement amongst the children. Our KS2 sports leaders had the opportunity to meet Alfie and were also awarded badges.

Later in the day he also had a Q&A session with students who are part of the Inspiration Trust Basketball Academy, they were excited to hear about his competitions and ask for advice and guidance as they take part in training and coaching of their own.