Athlete Eilish McColgan, who won a silver medal at the 2018 European Championships, tells us why she encourages schoolchildren to do sport.
“I remember how, as a youngster, excitement levels would soar through the class if we ever had a guest speaker visit us. It didn't matter what the talk was about.
I hated doing public speaking myself in school. And never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have the confidence to stand in front of a crowd and tell my story. But after the 2012 Olympics, I started to get a few requests from local schools, asking could I go along to give a quick chat about my sport - how I got involved and what it takes to make it to the Olympic Games.
Initially, I was a little unsure that anyone would want to listen to my story but the reception I received was extremely welcoming, and I was inundated with questions from the little ones especially.
Every time I give a talk to a school, I hope to engage people in different ways.
Of course, I hope to spark enthusiasm in the sporty kids who dream of being the next big sporting star. But I also hope to catch the less confident kids or the ones who have no interest at all, and encourage them to try. It's not about coming first. It's about making new connections and lifelong friends; learning a new skill and how to work with others; becoming active; improving oneself; and ultimately being happy.
As a kid, I was never the fastest kid in school or the most talented but I persisted and my hard work came to fruition. I want to emphasise this in my talks in schools.
Personally, I feel more work needs to be done to inspire the next generation. There needs to be a shift in order to make sport 'cool' again amongst kids. I try to do as many school talks as I can at the end of my summer racing season but we need more athletes doing this and encouraging the next generation.
The Winning Scotland Foundation do a great job of getting athletes across all different sports into schools across Scotland, and it's certainly something I will continue doing.
Over the last few years, I've met thousands of kids through my work in schools. If my words have reached the ears of just one child and had a positive impact on their life, I can end my career with a big smile on my face – knowing that their journey is only just beginning.”
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