As part of our longstanding partnership with Sports for Schools we have access to some of Great Britain's athletes. We have recently spoken to gymnast Kelly Simm who returned from the Commonwealth Games in Australia a few weeks ago with 2 medals!
Name: Kelly Simm
Sport: Artistic Gymnastics
1. Do you have any favorite experiences of outdoor play from when you were younger?
I used to love going to the local parks with my brother and my friends- and especially playing on the monkey bars!
2. How did the sports at your school help you to get where you are today?
I started gymnastics when I was 6 years old at Dynamo a local gymnastics club and the sport very quickly began to take up a lot of my time which prevented me from participating in other sports. School gave me the opportunity to try lots of other different sports whilst still doing gymnastics after school, which meant I wasn’t missing out on trying other things.
3. Why do you think promoting sports in schools is important?
Promoting sports in schools is so important as children might not have access to sports outside of school or may not have found a sport that suits them yet. I think there are so many benefits children can get from participating in sports, including becoming more motivated and driven individuals. I know in my case sport definitely helped improve my grades and concentration in school, as well as so many other life skills at a very early age including organization, discipline and commitment.
4. What advice would you give your younger self at school?
Just to keep working hard and enjoy what you’re doing!
5. What was your favorite part of the Commonwealth Games?
Being selected for my second Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia was a dream come true for me! Games like this are very special, from the moments you receive your England kit to staying in the athlete’s village, it’s such an amazing opportunity and I have so many memories from the games. My favorite part was getting to compete in the incredible arena and captaining the England team to a silver medal, and picking up an individual bronze medal for myself on the Beam a few days later!
As part of our ongoing partnership with Sports for Schools, Playforce can exclusively arrange for athletes such as Kelly to visit our school projects to officially open new play and sport areas and hold workshops with the pupils. In addition, as part of our customer rewards scheme, Playforce customers also get priority booking on any event they book with Sports for Schools.