Last week, fourteen students from Upper V to Upper VI went to the Girls Go Gold event held at Loughborough university and it was such a brilliant experience. From the moment we arrived the atmosphere was really lively and it stayed that way the whole time. We were with hundreds of girls from schools all over the country, all there to join in, have a go and support one another.

The event was about much more than just sport. We took part in all kinds of activities including lectures, masterclass skills sessions and workshops. We also heard from some amazing speakers including Jazmine Sawyers, Freya Colbert, Thea Brown, Olivia Murphy and Rhian Edmunds. They shared their own journeys and talked about confidence, resilience and finding your path. It was really inspiring hearing from women who have achieved so much and their advice felt really relatable and encouraging.

It was fun and engaging and there was never a dull moment. It was all about having a go, trying something new and encouraging everyone around you. As well as this we learnt so much from the lectures about the science behind sport, the technology advancements and what being a student athlete at university is actually like.

For me as someone who does a lot of rowing it was really interesting to hear from athletes across different sports and see what drives them. It was great seeing people step out of their comfort zone and give things a go even if they had never tried them before. Everyone got stuck in and we all cheered each other on.

We came away feeling really positive and with some great memories. It was lovely to represent The Abbey and be part of such an inspiring event. A huge thank you to everyone who made it possible. I would definitely recommend it to anyone going next year.

Aurelia, Upper VI