Olympians Emma Wilson and Hannah Snellgrove inspire pupils as they return to Ballard School in New Milton
TWO Olympians returned to their old school to share their stories from the Paris 2024 Games and inspire current pupils.
Emma Wilson, who won her second Olympic windsurfing bronze in the iQFoil class this summer, and sailor Hannah Snellgrove, who made her Olympic debut in the ILCA class at the Paris Games, paid a visit to Ballard School in New Milton.
The sporting superstars were invited to lead the warm-up for the year five and six Interhouse Cross Country competition, presenting the prizes at the end of the event before joining parents for tea afterwards.
Later, the Olympian duo took part in a question and answer session with Ballard sports scholars, sharing stories from their days at Ballard, competing at the top of their respective sports, and their experiences at the Olympic Games.
Wilson brought her medals from the Paris and Tokyo Olympics, allowing the pupils to hold and even wear them.
Headmaster Andrew McCleave said: “It was a true honour to welcome back two of our Olympian alumnae and to hear how the values and experiences gained at Ballard helped shape their journeys to the top of their sports.
“Both Hannah and Emma are wonderful role models for every one of our pupils in all of their endeavours, sporting or otherwise. Their stories were a powerful reminder of where perseverance, passion and hard work can take you, offering tremendous inspiration to our pupils. We are so grateful to them for sharing their time and insights.”
Snellgrove, who was at Ballard from 1993 to 2003, told current pupils that she had been ‘a geek’ who ‘loved homework’.
While she excelled in music at Ballard, playing piano and violin, being part of the choir and orchestra and being captain of the handbell group, the children were fascinated to learn that she was not very good at PE at school.
Her advice was: ‘Don’t always listen to your PE report, as you can go on to achieve great things’ – which she certainly has done.
Cambridge graduate Snellgrove shared that her journey to the Olympics had been far from ‘plain sailing’; she battled back after losing her place in the British Sailing Team, even launching a crowdfunding campaign to support the purchase of a new boat before being reselected to the team.
In contrast, Wilson, a Ballard pupil from 2007 to 2010, loved PE during her years at the school, excelling in hockey and football in particular.
She was spurred on by competing with her brother, who was also a windsurfer, and her mum, Penny, who was herself a two-time Olympian.
She talked about her experience at the Paris Games, from the harsh conditions to the controversy around the scoring system to her motivation to compete again at the LA Olympics in 2028.
Above all, it was the team spirit, fun, and camaraderie of being part of the Olympics that was her abiding memory.
She expressed her gratitude to all those who have supported her along the way, including her teachers at Ballard, and urged the pupils to ‘find a sport they love, try their best and enjoy the journey’.
Alongside Wilson and Snellgrove, two further Ballard alumni represented Great Britain at the Paris Olympics this summer. Former Ballard head boy Matt Aldridge won bronze in the men’s rowing coxless fours, while Tim Nurse played for team GB’s hockey team.
The school is also proud to have a gold medal-winning paralympic swimmer, Mikey Jones MBE, among its alumni.
Ballard School is an award-winning, independent, co-educational day school for children aged 2-16.
For more information, visit ballardschool.co.uk
