Youngsters meet sporting heroes at Inspire+ Mini Olympics 2016

More than 1,000 children took part in the ninth annual Inspire+ Mini Olympics in Grantham, themed around the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Participants from 38 schools were at the South Kesteven Sports Stadium to take part in a range of activities on Thursday.

They met sporting stars Paralympians Sam Ruddock and Jonathan Broom Edwards and Olympians Sophie Allen and Elizabeth Cann.

The games involved a total of 1,157 Year 3 and 4 pupils from the South West Lincolnshire area, which covers Grantham, Stamford and the surrounding villages.

Over 80 of Inspire+’s Sports Leadership Academy students and Young Ambassadors helped run the day, along with a group of volunteers from Totemic and PayPlan.

The event coincided with International Olympic Day which celebrates the history of the Olympic Games which pupils are studying at some schools.

They enjoyed their very own opening and closing ceremony and then took part in eight different Olympic and Paralympic sporting zones.

The day’s Rio theme was also enhanced by the East Midlands Caribbean Carnival Arts Network who provided Samba and Steel Drum bands along with carnival queens, dancers, puppets and stilt walkers.

Chris Graves, operations manager for Grantham-based sports charity Inspire+, said: “This was again the highest number of school children we have ever had to the event and the spirit they showed was fantastic.

“Thank you to all parties and volunteers who helped to make this another success. It simply gets better and better each year.”

The event is supported by South Kesteven District Council. Business manager for venues and facilities Paul Stokes said: “As ever this was another wonderful sporting occasion for children from South Kesteven schools and we are proud to have supported the event at South Kesteven Sports Stadium.”