Inspirational 400m runner and gold medal winner, Derek Redmond, was the key-note speaker on motivation, dedication, travel and perseverance to a group of over 150 sports and public services students at North Hertfordshire College’s Hitchin Centre on Wednesday 10th March. The event was supported by Aimhigher Hertfordshire, part of the national Aimhigher programme, which encourages young people with potential, particularly FE college students, to consider higher education as their next step in ‘aiming higher’ in life.
In a career that brought gold medals at World, European and Commonwealth levels, Derek triumphed over bad luck and illness: most famously when his hamstring snapped during the semi-finals of the Barcelona Olympics for which he had been a medal favourite and, with the aid of his father, hobbled the final 250 meters to make modern Olympic history.
Derek illustrated to the Sports, Travel and Public Services Academy students how he overcame massive odds to achieve personal success for himself, his team mates and his country, by combining the forces of commitment, motivation, passion and dedication, and how they can apply these qualities to their studies. He told them: “No matter how meticulous the preparation, life has a habit of delivering the unexpected. When that happens, it is vital to stay focused, adjust objectives and goals as necessary and maintain the drive for success.”
Eugene Matthias, President of the Magic Club of Great Britain, has become a great supporter of Aimhigher Hertfordshire, and was asked to develop a new motivational show for the Eastern Region Partnership; he recognised that Derek’s story fitted the project perfectly. Eugene says: "I am proud to support the project. My trademark approach to education harnesses magic as a vehicle to get different messages across and, I believe, matches precisely with Aimhigher’s values and objectives.”
For more information about Aimhigher and higher education courses at North Hertfordshire College, call 01462 42424 or visit www.nhc.ac.uk