FORMER Roedean pupil Amber Anning paid tribute to her old school and home city this week when she went back to the classrooms of her childhood to show her medals and share her journey with pupils.
Amber, 23, became a double bronze medallist after competing in the mixed and women’s 4 x 400m relay events at the Paris Olympics this summer. She also set a new British record in the women’s 400m event at the Games.
The Olympian’s young career is already littered with achievements including breaking the 25-year-old British record over 200m and smashing through the notorious 50 second barrier for the 400m. She joined Brighton and Hove Athletics at Withdean at just 9 years old and told 250 pupils gathered at Roedean that she has so many people across the city to thank for helping her in her career to date.
She said: “For me the Olympics has always been a dream and a goal but there are so many people who helped me get there – everyone here at Roedean, my family, my friends – even the groundsman at Wish Park who would chalk out a 100m track for me to train on during Covid.”
Amber talked about her time at the Olympic Village, laughing at the cardboard beds that the athletes were given to sleep on, showing the unique Paris Olympics medals that feature a part of the Eiffel Tower in every one and recalling the buzz of performing for Team GB in front of her family.
“This is why it is so important to try and give something back to my community – because they helped me get here in the first place,” she said. “ I want to be able to inspire the next generation by telling my story.”
Amber shared her setbacks as well as her successes with the pupils, recalling the final of the trials for the Tokyo Games where she came last and was not selected.“That was hard to take but I bounced back with more focus than ever to succeed,” she said.
Deputy head Ross Barrand said: “Amber’s name is all over the Honours’ Boards in Centenary Hall and in our sports day records’ book, so it was already obvious seven years ago that she was going to excel. But her success is the result of a huge amount of hard work, determination, resilience, and sacrifice. It was such a pleasure to see her, a shining example of a young woman who had a dream and has worked incredibly hard to make it come true – and her prize was not one, but two Olympic Bronze medals.”
Categories: Roedean School School News
