Still Going For Gold

Becoming the best in the world and proving it on the grandest stage, under the most intense pressure, is an achievement that many of us dream of but very few fulfil. Imagine climbing that mountain, standing proudly at the top and then resolving to live the rest of your life helping others climb peaks of their own. 

In 2008 Newport-born swimmer Liz Johnson took gold in the 100 metres breaststroke at the Beijing Paralympic Games. It was the pinnacle of a career that saw her claim medals at three consecutive Olympiads as well as winning three world titles. At the 2012 London Paralympics, Liz was chosen to read the Athletes’ Oath at the opening ceremony, a task that would be daunting enough for anyone, let alone someone with cerebral palsy who, as a schoolgirl, grew nervous at the thought of speaking in front of her class. She rose to the occasion, though. She always does.

Fast forward two decades and this gifted woman is still winning for Wales. After inspiring young people as a mentor for the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, and carving out a notable career as a broadcaster and corporate speaker, Liz is a regular visitor to our schools. As a mentor for the Youth Sport Trust, Liz is helping disadvantaged young people develop confidence and identify a path to a better future. Her sessions are fun, engaging and educational. The response she gets, sometimes from pupils who scarcely respond to anything else during the school day, is remarkable. At the session I watched her deliver, none of the children knew about her stellar sporting career, and she didn’t refer to it once. She has no interest in dwelling on her past; she’s too focused on improving other peoples’ futures. Liz’s work, and the general approach of Youth Sport Trust, helps educators raise awareness and steer positively on specific issues in schools, including gender equality, wellness and all-round inclusiveness. Tailored programmes deliver a learning experience that offers a platform for success in school and well beyond it. 

Set for Success, Youth Sport Trust’s flagship leadership initiative is funded by the Wimbledon Foundation in partnership with Barclays Bank. It’s been developed for the benefit of young people who need support the most. The programme’s three year pilot ended in 2023. Over half of the young people engaged in that period were in receipt of free school meals, one third had additional learning needs, and a quarter were from ethnically diverse communities. Their lives were improved to a point where the sponsors were happy to renew Set for Success for another four years. By 2027 it’s anticipated that almost four thousand more young people across 150 British schools will have received a turbo-boost to their self-esteem, their sense of purpose and their life chances. Many of those in Welsh schools will have Liz Johnson to thank. When Liz talks, young people listen, and even if they don’t know the sporting pedigree of the person standing in front of them they quickly come to appreciate her character.

In 2007, when Liz was 21, her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. In September 2008, she passed away. Eleven days later, a grieving daughter faced up to an Olympic final, the biggest moment of her sporting career, and honoured her mother in the finest way possible. When Liz Johnson won gold in Beijing seventeen years ago, she won for herself, for her family and for Wales. Today she’s still fighting and winning, and now she’s helping the next generation win too. She’s still going for gold. Thanks Liz.