Acclaimed gymnast Sam Mostowfi took time out from his rigorous training schedule to put children at Upton Juniors in Broadstairs through their paces.

He ran a short fun fitness circuit session for every member of the school in the sports hall and then led an informative assembly about his life as a gymnast.

To the delight of his audience, Sam also performed handstands and flips — even leaping over Upton’s brave PE Lead Callum Noble and Sports Coach Aiden McCollum.

He shared with pupils what inspired him into a gymnastics career and what the hard-work and dedication has provided and given back to him.

Sam encouraged the children to “enjoy the journey and celebrate the little wins,” and shared his personal motto: “There’s no such thing as failure – only trying, learning, and growing.”

Mr Noble said: “The children were thrilled to join Sam in a fitness circuit. Their energy and enthusiasm filled the sports hall as they worked through exercises under the guidance of Sam and the PE team.

“His inspiring words clearly struck a chord with the pupils, who listened intently and asked questions with great curiosity. It was an absolutely amazing day. The children were in awe of Sam’s achievements and learned so much from his story.”

Head of School Darci Arthur added: “Hosting such an inspirational talent brings real value-added learning to our children. They were really captured by Sam and his achievements.

“Whether it is in sport, anywhere else in their educational journeys or life in general, I am sure they will have benefitted greatly from his positivity and his determination.

“We wish Sam all the best as he works toward qualifying for the Olympics — we’ll be cheering him on all the way.”

Sam won a bronze medal at the British Championships last year and will represent GB at the Commonwealth Games next year. His goal is to compete for his country at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Known for his dazzling routines on the floor, rings, and horizontal bar, he dabbled in swimming, tennis, and football as a youngster, but it was gymnastics that stole his heart when he first stepped into a club.

Since then, he’s never looked back. His journey has taken him from junior competitions such as the European Youth Olympic Festival and the Junior World Championships in 2019 to representing Team GB at senior level, including international events like the DTB Pokal Team Challenge and the Varna World Challenge Cup.

Most recently, Sam competed in the 2023 British Artistic Gymnastics Championships, where he qualified for the horizontal bar and rings finals. In 2021, he was crowned British floor champion after taking home the gold medal. He continues to shine, collecting a haul of medals at the British Universities and Colleges Sport championships this year.

The visit was organised with Great Athletes, a social enterprise with a mission to help children to be more physically active. Over the past couple of decades, scientists have explained and confirmed how physical activity improves many aspects of a child’s life, including their academic performance and general wellbeing.

Great Athletes online states: “We achieve our mission by bringing top athletes, World champions, Olympians and Paralympians, into primary schools all over the UK to run inspiring events. We work with over 50 brilliant athletes from a range of disciplines and sports, each one with a unique story to tell about overcoming challenges and the importance of following your dreams.

“Great Athletes events also help schools raise money for resources that promote physical activity.”

To find out more, go online to www.greatathletes.org.

Upton Junior School is part of the Viking Academy Trust with Chilton Primary School and Ramsgate Arts Primary School.