Bronze Olympic medallist and Alumna (Old Queenian), Rebecca Wilde, returned to Queen’s College on Monday to share her experiences and inspire the next generation of athletes.
Rebecca was welcomed at the school’s entrance by Director of Sport, Mr Tom Bell, before the two toured the campus, allowing Rebecca to reminisce about her time at Queen’s. Stops along the way included the gym and swimming pool, where her long journey to the Paris 2024 Olympics began.
“It was a pleasure to welcome Becky back to Queen’s,” said Mr Tom Bell. “Her journey is an inspiration to all the pupils here. It speaks volumes of Becky’s character that so soon after the Games she took the time to visit and share her with the next generation of aspiring athletes.”
During her visit, Rebecca attended a special assembly, staged talk show style with Mr Tom Bell acting as host. Pupils had the chance to ask Rebecca questions about her experiences as an Olympian. Students found her stories of the games fascinating and that her advice was applicable to a wide range of scenarios outside of sport including handling nerves ahead of exams and large performances.
Rebecca also stopped by the gym, where pupils were participating in a rowing challenge to match her impressive Double Sculls Olympic time for 500 metres. Despite their best efforts, none of the pupils were able to beat the Olympian’s time – although they were certainly motivated to try and Rebecca was very impressed with some of the times!
Later, Rebecca enjoyed lunch with the school’s sports scholars, where they discussed topics such as mental and physical preparation, training, and nutrition. She offered advice and encouragement to the aspiring athletes, sharing her insights into what it takes to compete at the highest level.
