Having competed at two Olympic Games, Alex was able to share his experiences of competing at the highest level, and treated students to a look at his bronze medal from Beijing 2008 and his silver medal from London 2012.

PE Co-ordinator Sharon Walker said, 'We were delighted to welcome Alex to St. Helen's as part of our London 2012 Legacy Programme. Our pupils enjoyed the excitement of London 2012 so much last summer and we feel it is crucial that we keep its message alive. The idea of the London Games was to 'inspire a generation' and we are determined to keep doing that, so that our pupils get the opportunity to learn about and try out many different Olympic and Paralympic sports during their time with us.'

The students had the chance to get active too - he demonstrated his world-class rowing skills during a 'have a go, have a row' session and then invited the students to try their hand at the sport on rowing machines. They found out that rowing is really tough, and were really impressed by Alex's passion for the sport and how hard Alex works to achieve his personal best. Students were abuzz with the inspiration of trying rowing out, and a number are now keen to join a rowing club!

Headmaster Dominic Crehan added, 'I am sure our pupils will have been inspired by Alex's visit and I do hope that many of them take up rowing as a result.'

The school is even more committed to keeping the legacy of London 2012 alive, and plans to keep playing an active part in Get Set in the future.