Cycling Olympian at Fakenham

Bryan Steel, silver medallist in the 2004 Athens Olympics and four- times Olympian was the guest of honour at the first British Cycling Inter Schools Cycling Competition hosted in Norfolk at Fakenham College.

Steel shared his Olympic experiences with the 40 pupils and showed his Olympic medals which was very inspirational, especially as he was not originally interested in sport at school and just happened to have a go at cycling in school - and then he became an Olympian.

Five teams representing Fakenham High School, Alderman Peel High School, Cromer High School and Wayland High School participated in an exciting competition involving team skill challenge relays and individual races around a grass oval track.

Fakenham A won the overall competition with Alderman Peel finishing second.

The competition resulted after the North Norfolk Schools Sport Partnership worked with British Cycling to deliver the Go-Ride cycling sessions to the schools during the last six months.

The Go-Ride programme of cycling activities promotes good health and includes fun activities that are easy to learn.

The North Norfolk Schools Sport Partnership has also received Big Lottery funding to develop cycling and has now purchased cycles, helmets and a cycling trailer to develop after school cycling sessions.

Asa Saunders, partnership development manager for the North Norfolk Schools Sport Partnership, said: “The competition was brilliant. The event was enjoyed by everyone, and after the success of the British Cycling team in the Beijing Olympics we are really keen to develop cycling.

“n example of this is Fakenham High School who are very motivated to push cycling as an activity for their pupils.”

Special thanks went to the British Cycling Community Coaching team, the Norfolk competition team, Active Norfolk, Fakenham High School and the North Norfolk Schools Sport Partnership team for supporting the event.