Athlete Richard Strachan visits York school

Richard Strachan is a former Under-20 European gold medallist

Great Britain runner Richard Strachan delighted pupils at Archbishop Holgate School in York with a lunchtime visit.

The school was one of 10 nationwide selected for an elite athlete to tutor pupils in developing athletic skills and to encourage a healthy lifestyle.

Strachan told BBC Radio York: "Their enthusiasm was great to see."

The school's head of PE Matt Halifax said: "It's great to have a real expert, Richard's an emerging athlete, somebody of real pedigree."

Halifax continued: "Sport here is huge, it's absolutely massive.

"We try to give everybody opportunities. We try to push elite performers so they get every opportunity to go on and perform outside, but it's about participation for everyone."

Strachan, 23, added: "Athletics is such a good sport to get involved in. There really is something for everybody.

"Because there are so many different events, unless they are given the sport from a young age, they don't really know about it, they're not aware of the events.

"When you come into a primary school where the children are six, seven, eight years old, you can see, from a group of 30, seven or eight who are really interested.

"I think it's key to get them at that age while they're young and learn the technical events. It's key to come here and show these kids what athletics really is."