Sports stars give inspirational and motivational talk to pupils

Kingfisher Special School morning of inspiration with Gary Endacott and Damian Hughes also a Q&A with rugby legends Kevin Sinfield MBE and Barrie McDermott.

SPORTS personalities visited Kingfisher Special School to speak about their achievements and motivational thinking to tackle physical, business and educational challenges.

Gary Endacott, Damian Hughes, Kevin Sinfield MBE and Barrie McDermott visited the Foxdenton Lane site which is Oldham's only primary school for children with severe and complex learning difficulties.

The breakfast event included speeches, a question-and-answer session, and a chance for business people to network.

Anne Redmond, executive principal at Kingfisher, hosted the gathering which was supported by Mahdlo Youth Zone along with Zen Office, Oldham Business 100 and Web Applications.

New Zealand man Gary Endacott was born with cerebral palsy but has run marathons and won world tennis titles, and was the first man with a major disability to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Over the past 15 years he has given speeches focusing on motivation and inspiration.

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Damian Hughes has an academic background in sport organisation and change psychology which he used to advise businesses, education organisations and elite sports people. He has also written books including Liquid Thinking and Liquid Leading, which explore leadership theory and techniques.

Former Super League rugby player and England captain, Oldham-born Kevin Sinfield MBE, is one of the most successful players in the league's history. He captained Leeds Rhinos to seven Super League Grand Finals and two Challenge Cup successes.

He holds records as the highest point scorer in Super League, the third-highest points scorer in British rugby league and the only captain to lead a team to three consecutive Super League titles.

Barrie McDermott played rugby league for Oldham, Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos, with whom he won a Super League Grand Final and a Challenge Cup Final. Internationally he represented Ireland in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup and earned 15 caps over the years.

He later became a head of youth development at Leeds Rhinos and is now a TV presenter for Sky Sports.

Kingfisher Special School is operated by the Kingfisher Learning Trust, which has plans for a new free school called Halcyon Way. which is planned to open in September 2019. It will provide educational facilities for youngsters with moderate to severe learning difficulties who currently based in other local schools.