Paralympian’s visit to school inspires pupils

Stuart Robinson of the GB Wheelchair Rugby team visited St James’ Church of England Junior School in Whitehaven to tell his story of resilience and teach the children some of his moves.

Each class were put through their paces by Kate Kitts of Sport for Schools, under the Watchful eye of Invictus Game competitor Stuart.

Stuart said: “It’s just good to get them active and moving.”

Following the sessions, Stuart held a special assembly for the whole school, telling pupils about his career, the sport of Wheelchair Rugby and his comeback from a devastating injury.

“It’s about showing them what the opportunities are despite your abilities and disabilities” he said.

Headteacher Andrew Beattie added that Stuart’s story links to what St James’ are trying to instil in the pupils.

“It is an inspirational story about someone who has overcome barriers in life, what he is done and what he is embarking on.

“They get to do something active in the morning” he said.

He added that the school are working towards a PE gold mark, awarded to schools with whole school participation in sports.

“We don’t just do the traditional sports like football. How do you reach the kids who don’t naturally excel at sport?”

Stuart spoke of the benefits of exercise which he saw in his training for the Royal Air Force. He said: “It helped me do better at my job and concentrate more.”

An accident in the Royal Air Force while on his fourth tour of Afghanistan left Stuart an amputee but having just seen the 2012 Paralympics, he was inspired to continue with sport.

Stuart added that he found a reason to be positive in spite of his trauma: “The opportunities I have had after my accident are far bigger than before it.”

In his career he has competed at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, the Invictus Games 2016, where he was part of a bronze medal winning team and the 2018 World Championships in Australia.

He also coached a passing drill during the talk, with students and teachers taking part.