A group of athletes who are set to compete at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Shanghai/Keqiao on Saturday paid a visit to a local school in the area on Wednesday morning.
Devynne Charlton, Megan Simmonds, Tim Verbaandert, Matheus Lima and Huang Bokai were given a warm welcome by the faculty and students at the Keqiao Sports School, which has produced international performers across a range of sports.
They were greeted by school principal Jiandong Sun, who said it was a “special and remarkable day”, telling the stars their visit would “promote a better development of our school and surely leave us a beautiful memory.”
The athletes enjoyed a tour of the school’s sports facilities, watching students compete on a climbing wall and in the shooting hall, where they tested their suitability for the sport with a game that measured their ability to keep a steady hand under pressure.
“It taught me a lot,” said Simmonds. “The higher the pressure, the more my hand started to shake.”
Next, they went to the track where they met the school’s athletics team, signing T-shirts and making souvenir handprints. The students were then divided into groups with the athletes dispensing advice on their respective disciplines.
Charlton, a three-time world indoor champion and the 60m hurdles world record holder, demonstrated how to clear a barrier like an elite before watching the students give it a try and offering feedback on their technique. “Get more aggressive,” she told them. “Everything you do, you want to pull it down quick. Don’t let your trail leg just float down to the ground – push it down fast.”
Verbaandert, who will race the men’s 3000m on Saturday, held a question-and-answer session with students and the Dutch athlete, who’s making his first visit to China, enjoyed the interactions. “It was quite fun to be able to see how they do ithere,” he said. His advice to the young athletes? “Keep going, find a place where you enjoy what you do.”
Bokai, who will contest the men’s pole vault on Saturday against Swedish superstar Mondo Duplantis, emphasised to students the importance of focusing on their studies in addition to their sporting goals. The Chinese athlete was “very happy and excited” to offer them inspiration, adding: “When I was a child, I had that sameexperience.”
Simmonds will be part of a stellar field in the women’s 100m hurdles on Saturday and she said it was “very fulfilling” to meet the students. “It was really exciting to see rock climbing and shooting in a school – we don’t have that in Jamaica. I learned a lot and it was a good cultural exchange.”
Her advice to the young athletes was to “listen to your coaches, research what you want to know, put your best foot forward all the time. Work hard and it will come.”
She explained the importance of stars engaging with young athletes. “It’s different when you meet people who are where you want to be,” she said. “It’s very important,inspirational, motivational and I’m happy I was able to give them that opportunity. Even to see someone as short as me to reach the level I’ve got to – anything is possible if you put your heart and mind to it.”
Charlton also enjoyed the experience, saying: “I always love to come out and interact with kids, give them passion and get them excited about the hurdles, because that’swhat I’m excited about. It’s cool that the meet invited us and gave us the chance to interact.”
Her advice to the students: “Find whatever you’re good at, love what you do and pursue it as far as you can.”
After signing autographs and posing for countless pictures, the athletes departed to continue their preparations for Saturday’s meeting, while the students were left with some valuable lessons and a memory to savour.
As school principal Jiandong Sun said: “Hopefully, under the influence of the professional athletes, our students can make a tremendous breakthrough. I appreciate your guidance and thank you for coming.”