By George, Briony and Andrew from Imberhorne School, West Sussex
Olympic School Reporters, Beijing |
 Wednesday evening and Thursday report After a great day with the partners we had dinner on campus and then made our way by coach to the centre of Beijing - our first outing into this amazing city. Mr Celani took 3 students to meet the former GB athlete Jason Gardener at the Youth Sport Trust HQ. Fortunately this was near to where the rest of us were headed - the Taekwondo Gym! What an amazing evening. We were welcomed by 40 black belt athletes (everyone was on their best behaviour), we took our seats and were witness to an incredible display of patterns and movements including kicks and the breaking of boards. The Master was a fantastic host and made us feel very special. We were very grateful especially considering they were due to catch a flight to Korea the following morning at 5.30am for an International Tournament. Thursday morning saw us leave the campus early -direction Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. An amazing day full of history and incredible scenery. The students walked for hours and loved it- especially being stopped by Chinese tourists and locals to be photographed with! We had our first restaurant meal for lunch in a 5 star hotel and dined at large round tables whilst watching the Olympics - does it get better? The torrential rain at the Temple of Heaven after lunch did not dampen our spirits; quite the opposite - while the Chinese sheltered we ran through the rain from one palace to another shouting London Olympic weather! Off to dinner now and then we're meeting a group of primary students where they will teach us some song and dance. Interview with Jason Gardener  Jason Gardener with Imberhorne School Reporters |
We met Jason Gardener through his work with the Youth Sports Trust and Mark Atkinson (Director of Communications). We were able to interview him and ask him about his career. We focused on how he started, the highlights, the sacrifices he had to make and future athletes to look out for. Jason was a really down to earth person who provided lots of useful information and an amazing insight in to being a World Class athlete. Imberhorne School would like to thank the Youth Sports Trust for their time, hospitality and opportunity to meet Jason Gardener.
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while the Chinese sheltered we ran through the rain from one palace to another shouting London Olympic weather!
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