Daley Thompson discusses his school days, Olympic career, and new athletics and fitness academies. He enjoyed sports from a young age and attended a boarding school in Sussex. Thompson went on to have huge success in athletics, winning Olympic gold medals and setting world records. Currently, he and Kate Staples have launched academies in several southeast schools to inspire kids to be physically active and develop athletic skills. The response has been positive so far, and they hope to expand the program to fill the gap in school sports.

1. Daley
Thompson
on inspiring the next generation
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2. 54 A+ EDUCATION
Tell us a bit about your own school-
days – were they happy ones?
Yes, very much so; I loved school! In fact,
I’m probably the only person I know who
would go back tomorrow! I spent most of
my schooldays – from the age of eight to
16 – at a boarding school called Farney
Close in Mid Sussex. There, we used to
play sport every day so that suited me
just fine. My favourite was football – I
played various different positions – I just
loved being on the pitch really!
So at what stage did you realise
that you had a rather special talent?
Well, originally, I always wanted to be a
professional footballer, but when I left
school, I ended up joining my local
athletics club, the Haywards Heath
Harriers, where they had great coaches,
and later on the Essex Beagles, and just
started to get better. It all went from there
really – there’s no big secret!
You went on to enjoy huge success
on the international stage – with
four world records, two Olympic
gold medals, three Commonwealth
titles, and wins in the World and
European Championships – what
was the highlight?
The highlight for me really was simply
that I just felt lucky to have a career – in
the sense that a lot of sports people
manage only a couple of years, but mine
lasted over 15 years! Again, no great
secret; I think it was just luck really!
As an ambassador for last year’s
Olympics, do you think, as was
hoped, that the Games did inspire a
generation of youngsters?
Well, certainly going round the country
in the lead-up to the Olympics, it was
great to see how excited everyone was
and how eagerly they were awaiting the
start – and then, of course, when it came,
the whole country got drawn into it. So,
yes, let’s hope it has inspired a new
generation of youngsters into sport.
I certainly think it was a positive thing
that sports not normally on the to-do or
to-watch list got a good airing too.
There’s a sport to suit everyone, no
matter what your size or shape.
Ultimately, it was a great shop window
for sport in general and all that is good
about it.
During the bidding stage of the
Olympics, you focused particularly
on the benefits that hosting the
Games would have for schools. Tell
us more about that…
Yes, essentially I saw the Olympics as an
opportunity to get sport in schools up the
political agenda. Just recently, there was
a lot of stuff in the news about how little
INTERVIEW
Object of the
EXERCISEWith four world records, two Olympic gold medals, three Commonwealth titles,
and wins in the World and European Championships, DALEY THOMPSON
is regarded as one of the world’s greatest ever decathletes. Here, the Brighton-
based sports star talks exclusively to A+ Education about his own schooldays
in Sussex, his hopes for the Olympic legacy and the new fitness academies
he has recently started at schools in the south-east INTERVIEW BY CAROLINE HARRAP

3. A+ EDUCATION 55
Left: Olympic legend Daley
Thompson has been hard
at work on the launch of his
new athletics and fitness
academies in schools
(Photo: Andy Hooper / Associated
Newspapers / Rex Features)
INTERVIEW

4. 56 A+ EDUCATION
INTERVIEW
sport is played in schools, and that’s
something I feel needs to be addressed.
Let’s hope that is the legacy of the
Olympics and that it does make a
difference. It’s probably too early to tell
just yet, but I think we’ll know maybe by
this summer whether the Games have
had a direct effect on that.
In my opinion, kids should be doing a
minimum of three to four hours of PE a
week – and ideally an hour a day really.
It’s not even sport per se that they need –
it’s health and physical education – just
getting out there and having a run
around. It’s so important that kids get an
early grounding in physical activity – and
that we make that a positive one –
because they will then take that with
them for the rest of their lives.
And now, of course, you’ve teamed
up with former GB pole-vaulter,
Kate Staples, to start your own
athletics and fitness academies in
schools. Tell us more about that…
So with the new academies, what we are
hoping to do is to help fill that gap in
schools and get more kids doing sport
and exercise. The problem is, the school
curriculum is pretty packed these days,
with all the different requirements, so
by providing something outside the
school day or at lunchtime, it gives kids
that chance.
We offer two types of academies –
athletic academies and fitness academies.
The former are more specific, teaching
the kids throwing, jumping and running
skills, whereas the latter focuses on their
fitness levels, speed and having fun
through game play. Some schools run the
athletics for two terms and then the
fitness for the winter term.
As I said, the emphasis isn’t even so
much on sport as on health and them
having fun. What’s the point in being
great at maths or English if you don’t
have your health? Everybody has just one
health so we need to look after that.
So tell us a bit more about how
they work…
Well, the athletic academies are aimed at
six to 12-year-olds and the fitness
academies from six to 16, and we aim to
make it the best possible investment in
fun, fitness and the future!
With the athletic academies, all the
disciplines of the decathlon event are
involved in the most fun, engaging
and energising way – running, jumping
and throwing.
The purpose isn’t necessarily to
unearth the next gold medallist; it’s about
getting children buzzing and enthused by
physical activity. But when we do
encounter kids who exhibit particular
talent then we will ensure they are
channelled in the right direction towards
local clubs and their talent has the best
possible chance to flourish.
You’ve spoken in the past about
the importance of getting parents
involved in school sport too… is
that the case with the academies?
Yes, absolutely. Parents can come and
So
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Right: Daley Thompson
has launched the new
academies in schools
with former GB pole-
vaulter Kate Staples
Far right: Daley puts
pupils through their
paces at Danes Hill
School in Oxshott
Below: Children have
the opportunity to learn
a whole range of skills
at the academies

5. A+ EDUCATION 57
watch – and then once mum and dad
have seen what we’re doing, then they
can hopefully go and replicate that at the
park at the weekend or join one of our
fitness camps.
And we hear that you also drop in
yourself from time to time?
Yes, it’s great to see how everything is
going, of course, so I normally go along to
each academy at least a couple of times
a year.
What has the response to the
academies been like so far?
It’s still early days, but yes, so far very
good. We have eight academies running
in schools across Surrey including ACS
Egham International School; ACS
Cobham International School; Danes Hill
School in Oxshott; Manor House School
in Little Bookham; Lanesborough in
Guildford; and Shrewsbury House School
in Surbiton. We’re also looking forward to
expanding further in the near future.
So what other projects do you have
coming up yourself?
Well, at the moment, I’m just getting over
a trip to Australia where I was doing some
filming – and now trying not to feel too
miserable about returning to the British
weather! So we’ll have to see what
comes next. We have five kids, aged from
six to 21 – so they keep us pretty busy,
ferrying them around and making sure
they’re all at school at the right time
and everything!
And do you think any of them will
be following in your footsteps?
To be honest, I think that would be
impossible for them, as everybody would
just expect too much from them. I don’t
mind what they go on to do really – it’s
completely up to them – all that matters
is that they are healthy and jolly.
How about you; are you still out
playing sport much yourself?
I don’t play a lot of sport these days, but
I do still train every day for about an
hour in the gym – running, cycling,
rowing – whatever takes my fancy. I must
admit, I don’t train outdoors that much
because of the weather – I’m a fair-
weather gym bunny!
Whatever you do though, exercise is so
great on so many levels. Whether it’s
children or adults, even if it’s just half an
hour a day, then that’s half an hour to
yourself where you can think or not
think – it’s just so great for general
wellbeing. So with the academies, what
we’re trying to do is to provide another
option for that.
Finally, what advice would you
have for any budding Olympians
out there?
Whatever your dream is, whether
sporting or otherwise, you should follow
it; simple as that. It’s so easy to get
distracted from that, but if you can keep
focused on what you hope to achieve
then the sky is the limit.
Need to know:
Daley Thompson and Kate Staples’ Athletic
and Fitness Academies are available on a
pre- and post-school club basis and cost in
the region of £70-90 per pupil for the 10-
week course. For further details on the
schools that are hosting the academies, or if
you would be interested in hosting one at
your school, visit www.fitnesscamp.co.uk or
e-mail Kate Staples personally to arrange a
meeting at Katestaples@fitnesscamp.co.uk