The boys of Wyvern were fortunate to be visited by two time Olympian and London Olympics Gold Medallist (Men’s K4 1000m Canoe Sprint) Murray Stewart. Murray spoke to the boys about his experience as an Olympian and passed around his gold medal for the boys to hold.

His talks reminded boys of the importance of persevering, accepting feedback, being resilient in the face of setbacks and teamwork. He also shared his message that athletes only have a short career and that it is important to continue to study and to have passions outside of sport in order to maintain a balanced lifestyle.

The boys asked Murray some fantastic questions, such as ‘How does he balance work as an architect and as an elite athlete?’ ‘How does he handle the pressure to perform?’ ‘How much sleep does he get and how important is a healthy diet?’ ‘Which other athletes did he meet in the village?’ Unfortunately, due to time restrictions – not all boys had a chance to have their questions answered – please feel free to email any burning questions to Murray through Mrs Stewart (rstewart@newington.nsw.edu.au)

We hope that Murray’s visit has inspired the boys to set goals and dream big! If they want to be the best at something (or just improve) it takes hard work, time and perseverance – nothing is out of reach.