Thursday 21^st June saw Fitzalan’s annual sports day event being held at the nearby Leckwith stadium in the glorious summer sunshine. The slick operation run by the PE department and supported by a large number of the teaching staff at the school was a massive success, with all involved enjoying a fantastic day whether they were competing or supporting; the experience will last long in the memory of all involved. All pupils from Y7 right through to Y10 competed with determination, courage, respect and honesty and they were a true inspiration to all observing on the day.

There were numerous fantastic performances from all houses but a special mention must go to the following pupils. Bailee Wheadon in Y10, competing in his fourth and final sports day, was a multiple-medal winner; one of the highlights of the day was his recovering over 30m on the last 100m of the 4X100m relay and passing his fellow competitor on the line to take gold for his house. Other multiple-medal winners included Alba Edwards-Pratt from Y8 and Dianna Alhilali from Y10 who, in the sprints, showed their speed, power and class to separate them from the rest of the field and claim the gold medals in their respective events. In the throwing events a pupil from Y10, Fazilrabi Noor, dominated the rest with his raw power and determination, along with some refined technique. Fazil was a class apart from his competitors and won three gold medals; a highlight was a throw of over 35m in the javelin. Other notable performances come from Adam Francis in Y10 who won the high jump with a best jump of 1.55m, only 15cm away from the school record. Also in the high jump Serenity Twinney from Y7 put in a superb jump of 1.50m on her first sports day to beat the rest of her competitors and claim the Y7 school record.

The day would not have been as successful if it was not for the amazing support of the 1000-strong supporters in the stands who sang, cheered and supported the competitors from all houses. This created an incredible atmosphere in the stadium and provided a perfect platform for the competitors to perform at their best.

The PE department would like to say a big thank you to all the staff and sixth form pupils for their help and support on the day, which ensured this was another extremely successful and worthwhile experience for all involved.