THE Whitecross School Sports Awards this year were attended by top GB skier Pamela Thorburn, who has recently switched disciplines to the exciting Freestyle event of Ski-X.

She told the school she is hoping to compete for Team GB in Russia at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Pamela drove all the way from Glasgow to be at the Whitecross event and delivered an inspiring speech to the students about the drive and motivation required to reach elite level in sport.

Pamela reminded the students about the commitment and dedication needed to achieve highly in all areas of their lives, but also that fun and enjoyment were key to being at the top of everything.

Students watched videos of Pamela competing, when things were going well and when things went wrong! They even saw a Ski-X champion crowned despite the fact that she was racing with a plaster cast on both wrists – proving that anyone can overcome adversity!

"Meeting a skiing star was both exciting and a new experience for many of the students. It was fantastic to be able to ask Pamela to present the awards to the students for their achievements over the past year at Whitecross School," said a spokesman.

Pamela commented on the fact that the students were so quiet about their achievements, yet what they had achieved was phenomenal, with a number of students representing the county in their sport, competing at South West level, as well as students reaching the road to Wimbledon in tennis and being invited to attend Gloucester Rugby Academy.

"It was great to have an elite athlete telling students to be proud of their achievements and to celebrate them."

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Awards:

Head of Department Award - Kate Ambrey

Sportswoman of the year - Charlotte Purvis

Sportsman of the year - Paddy Henderson

Team of the year - U13 Netball and U13 Rugby

Rugby player of the season - Robson Skipsey

Cricket player of the season - Lewis Thompson

Boys' football player of the season - Adam James

Girls' football player of the season - Charlotte Purvis

Dance performer of the year - Amber Chilton

Girls' athetics performance of the year - Phoebe Crawley and Olivia Savell

Boys' athletics performance of the year - Paddy Henderson

Netball player of the season - Molly Bonser

Boys' hockey player of the season - Dominic Musgrove

Girls' hockey player of the season - Lydia Matthews

Tennis player of the season - Beth Wilson

Rounders player of the season - Lucy Smith

Leadership award - Lyndsey Millin and Amber Chilton

Special achievement award - Max Cadogan-Jones