Pupils in St Helier took part in an Olympic-inspired sports day lead by Olympian and two-time World Champion rower, Toby Garbett.

Toby Garbett with the winning team at the sports day

Taking place at Perseid Upper School, the shared sports day was enjoyed by pupils from Abbotsbury, Perseid, St Teresa’s and Malmesbury primary schools. Toby Garbett, who is currently a triathlete, kicked off the day by giving the pupils a talk about his sporting career and carried out some warm up activities with the children, including a mini-triathlon session where the pupils were given the chance to dress up in competition gear and have a go on his triathlon bike.

Following the session with Toby Garbett, the children divided into teams with a mixture of pupils from each school and took part in a range of games and competitions. In keeping with the Olympic theme, the pupils focused on sportsmanship and awarded each of their team mates with a certificate based on their personal qualities and sporting strong points. Certificates were awarded for ‘Olympic values’ including courage, excellence, respect and determination.

Merton Council’s cabinet member for education Councillor Martin Whelton said: “It’s great that an Olympic athlete visited our pupils to inspire and teach them about the dedication and commitment that being a sport star involves. I commend our schools for focusing on the importance of sports and exercise, ensuring that Merton’s children are active and healthy and are developing their sporting and personal skillsets.”

Assistant headteacher of Perseid School, Penny Hamilton said: “The children had a brilliant time at our sports day and really enjoyed the inspirational talk given by Toby. I’d like to thank Toby for coming along and teaching our pupils about the importance of keeping fit and healthy.”