Cashmore joins mentors team (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Cashmore joins mentors team

10:35am Thursday 28th February 2013 in Local

KIDDERMINSTER’S six-time Paralympic medal winner Claire Cashmore is to join 2012 Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis and sprint legend Darren Campbell on Sky Sports Living for Sport’s team of inspirational athlete mentors.

Now in its tenth year, Sky Sports Living for Sport is a free secondary schools initiative in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, which uses sport stars and sport skills to improve the lives of thousands of young people across the UK.

With more schools registering for the initiative this academic year than ever before, 26 new Athlete Mentors have been recruited to support the visits at schools all over the country.

Joining the 48 current Athlete Mentors, Cashmore will represent Sky Sports Living for Sport visiting pupils in secondary schools across the West Midlands, using her personal story of success to inspire the students to use the skills they learn through sport to improve all areas of their life.

Each new athlete has been handpicked by the Youth Sport Trust because of their unique personal journeys, which have seen them overcome a range of challenges to achieve sporting success.

The Wyre Forest swimmer was born without a left forearm, but despite her disability she took to swimming at just six years old.

Her first major achievement came at just 16 years of age at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. As the youngest female member of the Paralympic team, she won a bronze medal in the SM9 200m individual medley and S9 100m backstroke.

So far, the swimmer has enjoyed eight successful seasons at the top, winning individual medals at every major championship she has been to.

Cashmore graduated from Leeds University in 2011 with a degree in Linguistics and Phonetics and wants to pursue her childhood dream of becoming a Blue Peter presenter when she retires from competitive swimming.

“Last year was a fantastic sporting year for Great Britain and I think it is important to build on the momentum from the Olympic Games and encourage the next generation of young people to take up sport,” said Cashmiore.

“I am excited to go into schools and share my story and inspire the pupils to apply the life lessons they can learn through sport to all aspects of their lives.”

During school visits the athlete mentors will parallel the British Athletes Commission’s ‘Six Keys to Success’ by instilling in pupils values such as self-belief, determination, people skills and time management.

Schools interested in getting involved in Sky Sports Living for Sport can learn more and sign up today at skysports.com/livingforsport