Girls on their marks for Rio Paralympics

Rio we go . . . two excited youngsters are counting down the days to the trip of a lifetime.
Emma Currie, right, and Scarlett Heyes who are going to the Paralympics in Rio after their school - Woodlea Junior in Leyland - won a competition through Sainsburys Active Kids Paralympic Challenge, a programme that encourages young people to take part in Paralympic sports.Emma Currie, right, and Scarlett Heyes who are going to the Paralympics in Rio after their school - Woodlea Junior in Leyland - won a competition through Sainsburys Active Kids Paralympic Challenge, a programme that encourages young people to take part in Paralympic sports.
Emma Currie, right, and Scarlett Heyes who are going to the Paralympics in Rio after their school - Woodlea Junior in Leyland - won a competition through Sainsburys Active Kids Paralympic Challenge, a programme that encourages young people to take part in Paralympic sports.

Scarlett Heyes and Emma Currie are preparing to go rolling down to Rio after their school - Woodlea Junior in Leyland - scooped an incredible £20,000 trip to the Paralympics in Brazil between September 7 and 18.

The win was through Sainsbury’s Active Kids Paralympic Challenge - a programme that encourages young people to take part in Paralympic sports.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Woodlea won the prize for logging the most activity per pupil through the challenges on the Get Set Road to Rio app, which encourages schools and young people to share their levels of sporting activity.

The prize includes flights, five nights accommodation in Rio for two adults and two children and tickets to the athletics, boccia, goalball, swimming, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball competitions.

It also includes a day trip to Christ the Redeemer statue.

The two lucky girls were picked after all staff were asked to select children who had continually shown the school’s core values during their time there.

The girls will be accompanied by head teacher Jillian Shorrocks and Richard Cook, the teacher who organised the competition.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Year six pupils Emma and Scarlett are already looking into individual athletes and the events taking place during the games.

They are planning on making video diaries, vlogging, blogging and keeping written records of this amazing opportunity.

Scarlett said: “I have been on lots of holidays, but never to Brazil and Rio. This is something I am so excited about.”

Emma said: “I am so excited about watching the Paralympics live. I am a gymnast who enters many competitions. One day I may be on the world stage.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Emma and Scarlett will move on to high school after the summer holidays and have got special permission to take time off from their new school in term time, as the trip is classed as an ‘education visit’.

Mrs Shorrocks said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won such an incredible prize which will be an amazing trip for the children from our school that will go. We work extremely hard to ensure all our pupils are as active as possible and this prize is great recognition of that.

“Sainsbury’s Active Kids Paralympic Challenge has been a great way to introduce our pupil’s to new sports and excite them about the Paralympic Games in Rio this year. The trip really is the icing on the cake.”

Will Roberts, Youth Sport Trust assistant director of programmes, said: “It is an absolute pleasure to be able to award Woodlea Junior School the trip to Rio which will be an incredible experience for the winners and will provide memories that will last a lifetime.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“With the countdown now on to the Paralympic Games there has never been a better time to engage young people in sport and encourage them to try something new. I would urge all schools to get involved with the Sainsbury’s Active Kids Paralympic Challenge.”

Pete Ward, Sainsbury’s Active Kids manager, said: “It’s been a real privilege to see how much Woodlea Junior School embraced the Paralympic sports and they are a very deserving winner of the trip to Rio.

“The Active Kids Paralympic Challenge has been a great way to continue the momentum of the success in 2012 and raise awareness of disabled sport among young people. “With over 7,000 schools already registered, we’re looking for even more to get involved in the lead up to Rio and we’re supporting ParalympicsGB all the way.”

The girls are looking into various options for sponsorship opportunities,

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The school has contacted local businesses, aiming to raise about £1,000 to fund return transfers to London and some expenses money for the children.

Anyone who can help can ring Mr Cook at the school on 01772 421992.