AN OLYMPIC champion swimmer has visited a primary school to encourage pupils to stay fit and active over the upcoming summer holidays.

Duncan Goodhew, who won gold in the 100m breaststroke at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, paid a visit to pupils at Redbridge Primary School in today (July 13) to tells pupils about how to get into sport and make exercise part of their daily lives.

The swimmer said: “The school has made such fantastic progress. Just seven years ago there were on special measures and the transformation has been superb.

“This morning I spoke to children in assembly, showed them the gold medal and everything, and then I was thoroughly interrogated by them afterwards.

“Then I got down to the swimming pool and had a few pictures with them down there, and then got grilled again on all sorts of things.

“Part of the what the scheme is doing is organising sports and activities for the school holidays. We're trying to teach them that spending the whole summer not doing exercise is not good.

“I remember when I was younger there would always be a game of football going on over on the village green, but there's not that any more. It's hard for children because they're not able to go out and about in the same way as in the past.

“So if we can structure and organise ways for them to get out there and get active, it's better for their health and for their school studies as well because it'll help with concentration.”