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Female World Thai Boxing Champion, Rachael Mackenzie Pays A Visit To Macclesfield High School

Students at Macclesfield High School were treated to a morning in the presence of the UK’s first female Thai Boxing World Champion, Rachael Mackenzie, on Friday 5th February as she paid a visit to support the school’s participation in the Sky Sports Living for Sport programme.

Sky Sports Living for Sport is a free online tool (livingforsport.skysports.com) that has been designed for young people aged 11 to 16, encouraging them to take on different activities and learn new sports to help them reach their potential.  A highly respected female World Thai Boxing Champion (and the first UK female to attain the title), Rachael Mackenzie is one of 17 sports personalities visiting schools around the country to share her experiences, inspiring and motivating young people of all levels of sporting ability.

During the visit, a group of students challenged Ms Mackenzie to some Thai boxing of their own after spending time with her hearing about her own inspiring story of struggle and success through sport.

Rachael Mackenzie comments: “It was a pleasure to meet the young people at Macclesfield High School and hear about their involvement in Sky Sports Living for Sport.  The project can help students in so many ways and they have already used it across a number of subjects.  I hope that their experience with the scheme, and hearing my own story, will give them the encouragement to be the best they can be”.

David Dolman, Director of Learning at Macclesfield High School (who sustained a mild wrist injury whilst participating with his female opponent in an exhibition bout!) said: “Rachael Mackenzie’s visit represents the culmination of many weeks hard work by this group of students, during which they have learnt numerous important skills.

“Most crucially though, they have seen how by pulling together, getting involved and being active, they can achieve something, feel good about themselves and get healthier in the process.  Sky Sports Living for Sport has helped them fulfil their potential”.

By providing free online planning tools and sports kit, Sky Sports Living for Sport helps teachers to support young people in a variety of ways – by improving their attainment, their health, their self-esteem, or by pushing them to reach their full potential.

To date, 20,000 young people in over 600 schools have benefited since the programme began in 2003.  The ambition of the project, which is supported by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, is for 2,000 schools and 30,000 young people to register with Sky Sports Living for Sport by 2012 and to build the activities into curricular and extra-curricular activities.

Schools, community centres and organisations in Cheshire who would like to learn more about how to become involved in Sky Sports Living for Sport are invited to register their school at livingforsport.skysports.com.

 

05.02.10