Tauheedul Girls ‘pin down’ British judo champion Sophie Cox
British judo champion and double Olympian Sophie Cox found new sparring partners on a recent visit to Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School.
Sophie visited our school and inspired pupils with her story of determination, as part of the Sky Sports Living for Sport project.
Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School Year 11 GCSE PE students enjoyed the recent visit from judo champion Sophie Cox – Front, left to right: Abida Ali, Tahseen Patel, judo champion Sophie Cox, Ayesha Master, Aasiyah Waka, Aamna Hussain and Hazra Abdul; Back, left to right: Aazima Vali, Maryam Ilyas, Marriyah Khan and Murva Awan.
The double Olympian spent a full day with us, working with pupils across year groups. Sophie talked about her perseverance to achieve her sporting goals in an assembly with Year 7 & 8 pupils, before taking part in a practical judo training session with Year 8.
Sophie then ran a judo masterclass with year 11 GCSE PE students, who grasped the opportunity to learn judo techniques from such a skilled and experienced teacher.
The judo champion even spared the time to visit nearby primary school The Olive School, Blackburn to take part in a question and answer session with Year 5 pupils.
Sophie was also at TIGHS to launch a Sky Sports Living for Sport leadership project with our Year 9 pupils. The project aims to help the girls develop and improve a variety of life skills that will help them to excel in their sporting careers. Work on this leadership project is continuing and will bring Sophie Cox back to our school later this month.
Penelope Robb, our Head of PE, said, “Sophie Cox is a fantastic ambassador for girls in sport and it was a privilege to have her in our school.
“We want to take every opportunity we have to inspire our learners and open their eyes to the possibilities sport can bring. Through sports leadership at Tauheedul we are building up our students to become role models and develop the skills and confidence to lead others.”
Sophie Cox demonstrated a judo technique with Year 8 pupil Sana Patel
Star Academies, which runs TIGHS, pledges that all its pupils will encounter 100 inspiring figures, such as Sophie Cox, during their time at secondary school as part of its leadership curriculum activities.
Sophie Cox’s visit to TIGHS was arranged by Sky Sports Living for Sport, a programme for which Sophie is an ambassador, through the Youth Sport Trust.
Sophie Cox commented, “The aim behind the Sky Sports Living for Sport programme is to help these talented young women achieve their full potential and encourage an ethos of commitment, encouragement, participation and excellence, as well as enjoyment, through sport.
“It was a real privilege for me to work with these intelligent young women and to be able to introduce them to a sport which has been such a big part of my life and has given me many great experiences. I am sure the students’ confidence will continue to rise, especially with the fantastic support they have from the staff at the school.”
TIGHS pupils felt the benefits of spending the day in the company of a former British judo champion and double Olympian.
Murva Awan from Year 11 spars with judo champion Sophie Cox on a recent visit to Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School
GCSE PE student Marriyah Khan said, “Sophie told us how as a child she made it in to the Guinness Book of World Records after becoming the first girl to play rugby league at Wembley Stadium. I found this really motivational and I am thankful that she has paved the way for girls like me to be able to play and enjoy sport.”
Student Murva Awan said, “During our training session Sophie showed us a move where she threw me over her body. I also learnt how to pin down and secure a win. From participating in this session I can see why she is a champion. I saw first-hand the core strength and balance needed for this sport but, more than that, the mental toughness that Sophie has.”
Added By: Tauheedul Girls | Date Added: 8th May 2017 | Posted In: Latest News