Paralympian Fran Williamson makes ‘inspiring’ visit to Stradbroke High School

Stradbroke High School pupils were treated to a visit from a five-time World Champion Paralympic swimmer this week as part of a free schools initiative.

Fran Williamson, who has represented Team GB for ten years, has set a number of British, European and World records over the years, and has 13 world and six Paralympic medals to her name.

The swimmer has athetoid cerebral palsy

The visit was part of the Sky Sports Living for Sport programme, free for secondary schools, which aims to boost confidence, change behaviours, increase attainment and improve life skills, using sports stars.

Head of PE at the school, Joanna Beale, said her visit was “inspiring”.

“She did an assembly that moved everybody and it was very inspiring,” she said.

“She came in with her medals, and she did an assembly around being a very unconfident child, and learning how to swim at the age of 12 and being quite good at it.

“The moral of her assembly was that any one of any ability should not listen to what other people say about them, but they can be whatever they want to be.”