Children at a Farnham school caught Olympic fever before the summer break as a Paralympic champion paid a visit.

Three times medal winner Rachel Morris MBE visited St Andrew’s Infant School to celebrate the Farnham Charity Bike Ride.

The cyclist and rower is a staunch supporter of the fundraising event founded by school parents 16 years ago to fund a new roof.

This year’s event will take place on September 15 with the school getting a helping hand from the Farnham Hedgehogs.

Rachel invited the children to bring their bikes to the event and spoke to them about resilience and the importance of physical movement.

She also highlighted the importance of chasing their dreams in a motivational talk to the school’s young cyclists, as she’s learned through her work as a mental health practitioner and disability advocate.

Morris turned to elite disability sports after a bilateral amputation and acquired spinal injury left her Olympic dreams as a runner behind her.

She won golf in the cycling time trail at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics Rachel before taking bronze in the women’s road race at the London 2012 Paralympics.

Rachel switched to rowing in 2013 and competed her first Paralympics Games as a rower in Rio 2016, taking gold in the women’s single sculls.

Morris’ journey as a sportswoman inspired the children and they were very impressed by her Olympic medals.

For more details about the Farnham Charity Bike Ride visit www.FarnhamCharityBikeRide.co.uk

by Alexandra Thurston