At Teachers Together, we believe in the power of education to inspire. Beyond the confines of the national curriculum, schools serve as incubators of inspiration, collaboration, and essential life skills - preparing students for success in the years to come.
In December, we had the honour of hosting Naomi Riches MBE DL, a Team GB Paralympic Rowing Champion, at Downside Primary School in Luton. Born with a visual impairment, Naomi won six World Championship gold medals, bronze at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, and gold at the London 2012 Games. She also holds a Guinness World Record for rowing the River Thames.
Naomi captivated the students with the story of her "Playground to Podium" journey, illustrating her path to achieving her dreams. Known for her engaging motivational talks, Naomi highlighted the values of resilience and hard work needed to tackle challenges head-on. She led two assemblies and visited classrooms where students were able to ask questions and get hands-on with her medals!
The children's responses were overwhelmingly positive with many saying that meeting Naomi and hearing her story inspired them to set their own personal goals and reflect on how they could overcome challenges.
Head Teacher Karen Hooker remarked, “Naomi’s story is one of perseverance, striving for a goal and not allowing any disability or setback get in the way of a dream and success! The children loved the assemblies and enjoyed the time to ask Naomi questions in the classroom. We are all very grateful to Teachers Together for organising this inspirational experience for our school - the children loved it!”
Organising such impactful events is part of our commitment to not only support schools with staffing needs but also to actively contribute to enriching the educational journey of students. These unique opportunities are just one of the many benefits of partnering with Teachers Together.
We’re looking forward to continuing this series of inspirational visits with our partners, with Naomi scheduled to visit Beechwood Primary later this month and two further schools in the coming months.
Here is a selection of what Downside’s students had to say about their experience:
“Shaking hands with Naomi was inspiring and holding the medal was unbelievable. Meeting her has made me set my own Olympic goal.”
“You are one of the most inspiring people and I love that you cherish your disability instead of hating it.”
“Thank you for teaching me perseverance and to listen to the cans not the can'ts.”
“You've really opened my eyes. I've realised I can do anything as long as I really try.”
“We have learnt that we can overcome our obstacles in life and succeed.”
“You have inspired me and made me think to never give up.”
“Naomi Riches was inspirational. She made me want to do my best in PE.”
You can find Naomi's website at naomiriches.com. We also recommend checking out this recent interview she gave with PA Life: https://palife.co.uk/editors-picks/beyond-the-gold-an-interview-with-naomi-riches-redefining-success.
Massive thanks to Naomi from everyone at Teachers Together and Downside Primary for sharing her time and inspirational message!
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