BIS welcomes British Olympic Swimmer James Goddard

A very busy and exciting week of sport here at the British International School HCMC culminated in us welcoming world-famous swimmer James Goddard to school on Thursday! James ran coaching sessions for our swim squads and gave an inspirational talk to secondary students on what it takes to reach the top of the world.

James Goddard, three-time Olympian, a competitor at numerous World Championships and three times Commonwealth Gold Medallist in the 200m backstroke and relay medley, graced the BIS pools and imparted his skills and wisdom on our students.

James delivered three masterclass sessions to our Early Years, Junior and Secondary swim squads. All our student swimmers enjoyed James’ open, amenable and positive manner and benefited from his expertise in reaction time, racing starts, streamlining and stroke length; an experience all of our squads will remember for a lifetime!

Ben Yang from the not-for-profit KE/Yang Foundation delivered a wonderful presentation on the ‘8 Characteristics of Successful People’, breaking down 8 simple but effective traits that lead to a variety of successes. The KE Foundation are looking to set up links with the school to provide experiences for our students at Universities in the USA, Canada and the UK, as well as forge links with the school for sporting connections in the United States. This is a very exciting time providing unique opportunities for our students.

James then related many of these 8 success factors to his personal swimming career. James talked in detail about the things that motivated him to become one of the world's best swimmers, including how he;

• became inspired by world-class swimmers at his club
• was focused on his goal of reaching the top
• had a good training partner who pushed each other to the world stage
• set himself mini targets in training sessions to make sure he was out-performing his rivals
• trained at world class training facilities
• experienced the Olympics and Commonwealth games

James then offered his time answering some thoughtful questions from our students, as well as showcasing his treasured Olympic Team Great Britain Tracksuit top and Commonwealth Gold Medal for our students to try on. He then had time to pose for photographs, sign autographs and speak openly to some students who stayed behind for a further chat.

Both James and Ben inspired our students to reach the world stage in whatever field they choose. Thank you to both of them for sharing their knowledge and experience of success with our students.

Mr Phil Husband, Director of Sport