Two-time Olympian Montell Douglas is injecting the fire of a Gladiator into the younger sporting generation during National School Sports Week. The former track and bobsleigh athlete recently appeared as Fire in the 2024 reboot of the classic TV game show ‘Gladiators’ and is using her newfound on-screen presence to advocate on the importance of sport.
Douglas brought her spark to the launch of the Youth Sport Trust’s 2024 National School Sports Week at Swiss Cottage School in London, the start of a weeklong annual campaign which aims to champion the role of PE, physical activity, and school sport in allowing all pupils to reach their full potential.
Students had the opportunity to take part in an accessible sports session led by Douglas and Paralympian Tim Prendergast, in what the Gladiator believed was a showcase of just how impactful embracing your unique self through sport can be. According to Douglas, “It’s about giving someone who might feel different or might feel like an outcast that room to grow and feel like they belong.”
“I always say that there’s a gladiator in everybody and you very much see that as everyone has their own skill set and looks a bit different. As long as you embrace your own gladiator and have a ball doing it, the sky is the limit for you.”
Douglas has been with the Youth Sport Trust for over 10 years now, supporting and promoting youth sport activity. She expressed her love for impacting others while learning about how sport and activity have impacted other people’s lives. She finds it rewarding to be part of the journey during National School Sports Week and to help make sports a life skill for everyone.
This year, National School Sports Week, powered by Sports Direct’s Monster Kickabout, is themed around ‘putting all into football.’ The goal is to encourage 60 minutes a day of PE, sport, and play, in line with the Chief Medical Officer’s recommendation that children should be active for a minimum of 60 minutes a day to stay happy and healthy.
Youth Sport Trust CEO Ali Oliver emphasized the importance of the campaign in getting young people active off the back of some concerning statistics. “We know that less than half of children nationally get their active minutes every day and that really isn’t good enough,” she said. “Those active minutes are vital for a child’s growth and development and it’s a really worry for us.”
The Youth Sport Trust aims to support schools and education setups in creating active learning environments to make children happier and healthier. The focus is on making physical activity accessible to all, not just those with a high level of ability.
National School Sports Week is an annual campaign launched originally in 2008 and run by the national children’s charity, the Youth Sport Trust. Its mission is to champion the role of PE, physical activity, and school sport in allowing all pupils to reach their full potential. Through events like the Monster Kickabout, the week aims to promote the benefits of staying active and engaging in sports for a healthier and happier lifestyle.
