OLYMPIAN Brogan Crowley was a spectator rather than competitor when she attended a sporting event in Oldham.
The 28-year-old from Moorside was the special guest for sports day at Holy Cross CEVA Primary.
As a sports ambassador for the school and a Platinum Jubilee Celebration Torch Bearer for Oldham, many of the pupils already knew Brogan who was happy to take time from her own training schedule to support the event.
Blessed by the lovely hot weather, parents and teachers supported the event which was organised by Lizzie McGullion and Leanne Whitehead.
Events included welly throwing, sack race, egg and spoon race, javelin throwing, three-legged race and the space hopper race.
The children competed for their school houses and used a points system for each event with St Agnes emerging the winners, St Mary’s runners-up and St Francis third.
Brogan, who competed for Team GB in the skeleton in the Beijing Winter Olympics, said: “It was great to see the children so enthusiastic and determined to lead a healthy and active lifestyle by engaging in sport.
Year 5 teacher John Hoyle spoke about the impact Brogan, who has paid several visits to the school, being a role model, has made. Her mother Beverley is a teacher at the school.
He said: “The children I teach come from a very small socio-economic system with few avenues out of poverty.
“The power of meeting a role model from their own town, who is able to follow such a very personal, exciting course to success, is immeasurable.”
In the build-up to Beijing, the children learned about the skeleton and Winter Olympics as Beverley had taken some of her daughter’s clothing and equipment to display at school.
And the children sent good luck messages to Brogan which she opened each day while she was in China.
After returning home, Brogan visited school and spent time talking to each class about her experiences.
