Everyone Active Sporting Champions – including one of our Elite Athletes, Lutalo Muhammad – helped kick off the 2022 Herts School Games in style this year after the event had two years in the doldrums because of Covid.

Hosted by the Herts Sports & Physical Activity Partnership at St Albans’ Oaklands Community College, pupils from Beech Hyde Primary School in Wheathampstead opened the event with a Commonwealth themed dance. In total, 428 young people, from 46 schools across Hertfordshire took part and the whole event was supported by 96 leaders from the Herts Coaching Academy and local secondary schools.

Everyone Active contributed to the event by co-ordinating a visit from Olympic Athlete Lutalo Muhammad, former European Taekwondo champion, Olympic bronze, and silver medallist. Aspiring netball star Aliyah Zaranyika from Saracens Mavericks, who has been selected for the future England Roses programme for the 22/23 season, also attended to inspire the young participants on the day. Both athletes provided a great insight into the world of elite sport and joined in some of the activities alongside the participants.

Steve Cox, Everyone Active Contract Manager, said: “We’re really proud to play our part in the Herts School Games. It was a fantastic event with a lot of children participating on the day. It’s great to see so many young people joining in and enjoying physical activity.

“We owe a huge thank you to our Sporting Champions elite athlete, Lutalo Muhammad, for his inspirational words and help on the day, and of course to our athletes on the scheme, Martin Rooke, Giles Smith, Alice Smith, Lajos Fazekas and James Arnott. Their help was gratefully appreciated and went a long way in making the day a success.”

Tanya Angus, Herts Sports Partnership Schools and Community Sport Manager said: ‘after three years of waiting, it was a pleasure to be able to welcome everyone to the Herts School Games Celebration Event again. The School Games programme is well-received across the county, and it was brilliant to see the enjoyment on the young participants faces as they got involved with activities such as tennis, inclusive cricket, archery, team-building games and badminton. I hope that we have provided everyone with a positive memory from today and I look forward to the School Games programme starting again in September.”