School Games Summer Festival – Set To Be The Biggest Yet!
Two thousand aspiring young sports stars will be going head-to-head in 16 events at an Olympic-style competition on 23rd June at Keele University.
The pupils, from across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, will represent their schools and compete in tag rugby, netball, rounders, golf, trampolining, Boccia and cross country. They have taken part in months of competitions in the build up to the event, with the hope of being crowned county champions. A Change4Life multi skills festival involving 500 participants will also run alongside the competitions as part of the event.
Olympic Gold medallist, Sam Quek will be on hand to provide words of advice and encouragement to athletes. Sam Quek plays as a defender for both England and Great Britain’s hockey teams. She won gold, playing a key role as part of the British team at the 2016 Summer Olympics, who beat the Netherlands on a penalty shoot-out. She competed in the Rio Olympic Games, winning her 50th cap for Great Britain in the process, with more than 125 combined for both England and GB. Having won gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and Sam received an MBE alongside her Team GB teammates in the 2016 New Year’s Honours List, and she also appeared on the popular I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here in the same year.
Paralympian Ian Marsden will also be attending the event and participants will get the chance to get their hands on his Paralympic medal. Ian began as a record-breaking junior world champion powerlifter. Then, after suffering a serious spinal injury, he embarked on an illustrious handcycling career representing Great Britain at several European and World championships. Ian took up the sport of shooting and went on to represent GB several IPC World cups. In 2012 Ian attended a talent ID day for Paracanoe and at 
Paracanoe’s debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games Ian won a Bronze medal in the KL1 200m event.
The day will kick off with an Olympic inspired opening ceremony with performances from students at Newcastle-under-Lyme College Performing Arts Centre. A mass warm up will then get competitors ready for what is set be an exhilarating day of sport. All the athletes will have the chance to soak up the atmosphere of the day by visiting the athletes village which will have plenty of fun sporty activities on offer including circus skills, dance mats, club information station plus much more.
Local Organising Committee Chair Simon Ascroft said: “This year’s event promises to be the biggest and best yet, with over 2,000 competitors from more than 100 schools across the length and breadth of the sub-region.
“We are privileged once again to be able to use the fantastic facilities at Keele University and I would like to thank our hosts for their support and generosity in supporting these games.
“This is a real opportunity to showcase the wealth of talent that exists in our primary and secondary schools and I would like to wish every competitor the very best of luck.”
The School Games Summer Festival 2017 is organised by a Local Organising Committee in conjunction with Sport Across Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent with funding from Sport England through National Lottery.