Canoe believe it? Etienne Stott visited CHS to inspire students to believe in themselves and try something new.
Visiting the Junior School first, Etienne spoke to the children in assembly on how he got into canoeing through the scouts and what helped him achieve his goals.
He said: “There are 3 things that helped me achieve a gold medal. First, I learned from everything, even my failings. Second, a big job seems scary at first but when you break it down to little pieces it’s easy to do. And third, I always remembered no one can predict the future. If those doubts came into my mind I told myself that I didn’t know what was going to happen.”
The students were very interested in Etienne’s career asking questions like ‘Is your medal made from real gold?’ and ‘How long did it take to become an Olympic Champion.’
It wasn’t just the Junior School that got to hear from Etienne. Senior School students got to hear Etienne’s story and hear the difficulties he faced, like dislocating both his shoulders and the disappointment he felt not being selected for the Rio Olympics.
Etienne then did some activities with the Senior Students helping them refine their techniques and how they think about their sport.
It was a busy day for the Olympian, finishing his visit at CHS with a Canoeing masterclass in the pool with some Year 5 and 6.
The students really enjoyed the visit from Etienne. Isla said: “He’s inspired me to try canoeing because it sounds interesting and I like a challenge.”
“He made me feel like nothing is impossible.” Aleena.
