In February Queen’s had a visit from Martin Cross who came to talk to us about the 2012 Olympics, what it takes for people to train and take part in the events and how we can all be champions in our own way.

Martin is one of Britain’s most successful rowers. He has won an impressive variety of medals:

• gold in the coxed four at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics
• gold in the coxed fours at the 1986 Commonwealth Games
• medals in the coxless fours at the World Junior Championships in 1975
• medals in coxless pairs at the World Championships in 1985
• bronze medals in the coxless fours at the World Championships in 1978 and 1979, Olympics in 1980, and in the eight at the World Championships in 1991!

The whole school was enthralled as he told us how he was “useless” at sport until he found his niche in rowing.  He showed us a video clip of the 1984 race which had us all cheering and shouting as if he might lose if we didn’t give him our full support.  But, perhaps best of all he showed us his clutch of medals.

Later he worked with some individual groups and investigated the challenges that we all face every day and the motivation we need to help us with them.