Gomer were privileged to spend the morning with Aaron Phipps on Wednesday 11 December. Aaron Phipps, is a Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby player and London 2012 Paralympic athlete. As a teenager Aaron took a keen interest in extreme sports such as rollerblading, skateboarding and BMX riding, as well as well as competitive sports like basketball. However on the 7th January 1999, aged 15, Aaron contracted meningitis C and meningococcal septicaemia (blood poisoning). Aaron has been a long term supporter of both Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) and Shaw Trust after contracting meningitis in 1999. As a result of the disease Aaron needed both legs amputating below the knee as well as the tips of his fingers.
His determination has seen him compete in wheelchair races and representing Team GB at the London 2012 Paralympic Games as part of the wheelchair rugby squad. He has completed the Adidas Silverstone Half Marathon, the Virgin London Marathon and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the world’s highest free standing mountain at 5,895m – wow! In in his whole school assembly Aaron talked eloquently to the children about making choices, resilience and working hard. He is an incredibly inspirational  man and communicates brilliantly with the children. He went on to work with Y6 and led workshops to enable them to think about choices, work ethic and managing challenging situations.
Thank you Aaron for aligning your morning to our Foundations of Learning and inspiring our children with your inspirational life stories. Thank you also for staring our Reindeer Dash.