Olympic Gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill paid a visit to Sheffield Hallam today, when she came and took part in one of the Hallam Active sessions at collegiate campus.
The 28-year old took time out of training to help Sport England promote their Active Universities scheme, which aims to attract new people to participate in a range of sports whilst their at University.
The £8 million lottery funded project has successfully managed to increase participation by an outstanding 134% since the programme begun in 2011, through sports such as athletics, badminton and football at 41 different institutions across the country.
The session was delivered by members of the athletics committee to social sport participants who have attended more than 50% of social sport sessions this year, as well as Sheffield Hallam Sport activators.
The volunteer sport activators help run the various programmes throughout the University and in return can receive funding for various sport coaching and officiating qualifications.
Jess-Ennis prepares to shows off her jumping ability.
Jordan Butler, a student at Sheffield Hallam and the current higher education football activator said ‘It’s really good that Jess Ennis is down at the University. It kind of shows off the great programme we’ve got running and the way that it’s progressed over the past two years.’
‘With extra funding through BUCS my role is related to football but it’s about increasing participation within social sport, with students who may not be involved in the sports teams’
‘We have two sessions’ he said ‘one on a Thursday that’s really popular, and we have a session on a Saturday which has been established for a year’
‘In the New year were looking at extending the programme and doing a couple more sessions based at city campus, and that’s part of my role now, just to increase participation and integrate equality’
Ennis joined in the session, showing off her talent to the students, before competing in a relay and taking photographs with the lucky participants.
The Sheffield born Ennis, who has recently returned from injury after a frustrating season, is currently in training to compete at the World Indoor Championships in Poland next March.
Speaking to the BBC in October Jess said ‘”I’d love to do the pentathlon at the World Indoors but I have to make sure I’ve got enough time to be technically where I need to be and competing at the top of my game.
“It’s been a challenging year but I’m on the mend. Things are going in the right direction finally and hopefully I’ll be back at my best soon.”
It’s not too late to join in any of the sessions that Hallam Active run, and if you would like to participate in any of the sessions, or become a student sport activator, then visit the Sheffield Hallam active website for more details.
