LVS Ascot Students Strike Gold With Visit From Paralympic Champion

23 Feb 2016

Liz Johnson Hails School’s “Mammoth Effort” In Charity Fundraising

LVS Ascot students struck gold on Monday when their fundraising efforts were rewarded by a visit from top Paralympic swimmer Liz Johnson. Liz, who has cerebral palsy, came to LVS Ascot as a Patron of Dreamflight to be presented with a cheque for over £2,200 from students who had spent a week raising money for the charity in December.

Liz said: “LVS Ascot’s fundraising was a mammoth effort and their kindness means another seriously ill child will be able to enjoy a once in a lifetime holiday to Florida that they will remember forever”. The school’s Whitbread House raised the impressive sum through a series of initiatives such as a raffle to win a portrait painted by Head of House Mrs Robinson, a staff against students rowing challenge, live concerts at lunchtimes and more.

With LVS Ascot’s desire to provide positive role models to inspire pupils, Liz was the perfect visitor having shown great determination to overcome disability and win 100m breaststroke medals at three consecutive Paralympic Games, including Gold in Beijing 2008 and Bronze at London 2012. Students were keen to pick up training tips from Liz, and she held a question and answer session with the LVS Ascot senior swimming squad, many of whom had also won medals in the London Olympic swimming pool at the Independent Schools Asssociation Finals last year.

Although Liz is unlikely to swim at the Rio Olympics, she couldn’t resist visiting LVS Ascot’s indoor swimming pool before leaving, and Year 5 pupils attending their swimming lesson were able to enjoy the benefits of her wisdom as she coached them, giving valuable tips on how to improve their swimming. The swimming pool really impressed Liz, who said that students were extremely fortunate to have such a facility on site as she was travelling 1,000 miles a week when at school to make sure she could also keep up with her swimming training, and that her life would have been much easier with more study time if the school she attended had such facilities.

Liz said: “Having an indoor pool on site is a huge benefit for a school. Swimming is an important life skill and teaches confidence and fitness. To be able to make it so readily available to children from Junior School up to Sixth Form is a real bonus”.

LVS Ascot Principal Christine Cunniffe was delighted to welcome Liz, saying: “Charity fundraising is something we actively encourage at LVS Ascot, and we are pleased to be responsible for sending another Dreamflight child on a special holiday. Liz Johnson is a truly remarkable sportswoman whose contact with students today has inspired them and reinforced the school’s ethos to aim high, be passionate about what you want to achieve and work as hard as possible to get there”.

Photo: Paralympic Gold medallist Liz Johnson receives LVS Ascot’s fundraising cheque on behalf of Dreamflight