Schoolchildren at a Lake District school have been put through their paces by two sporting legends and given the chance to meet more at a new event in the summer.
Steve Cram, athletics world champion at 1,500m and former multiple world record holder, and Izzy Christiansen, former England Lioness and Professional Footballers’ Association Women’s Players’ Player of the Year, visited Dallam School in Milnthorpe to talk about the first Wild G.O.A.T Festival that is coming to South Lakeland in August.
From 11-13 August at Holker Hall near Cartmel, the Wild G.O.A.T Festival will welcome families for trail runs, gravel cycling, walks, yoga and wellness, workshops, tech talks, music, food, entertainment and much more, suitable for any age or ability. The races and activities will be led by a team of ‘G.O.A.Ts’ (Greatest Of All Time) including big stars Steve Cram, Paula Radcliffe, Chris Thompson, Non Stanford and others.
In the build up to the Wild G.O.A.T Festival, organisers have teamed up with local relationship bank, Handelsbanken, to give children from local schools, and their families, free tickets to join the fun in August. Steve and Izzy popped in for a chat with pupils at Dallam School about their careers and then led a running session to give them a taste of the action that they can enjoy at the festival later in the summer.
Steve Cram said: “The Wild G.O.A.T Festival will be packed with activities for families to try together, like Paula Radcliffe’s Families on Track, and we’re really focused on inspiring young people to take part. So it’s brilliant to be working with Handelsbanken to spread the word and give away some festival tickets through local schools. The kids who Izzy and I met at Dallam School were full of enthusiasm and offered a taste of the atmosphere we’re aiming to generate at the Holker Estate in August.”
Izzy Christiansen added: “I’m very pleased to support the Wild G.O.A.T Festival – an event that promises to be a feel good festival for all ages. As a professional athlete myself for 11 years, I am familiar with how being active can make us feel great. Now retired, I really want to push positive messages around exercise, health and mental wellbeing. The festival encompasses everything I love about the outdoors and that’s why I am very happy to be supporting the event in August. Enjoy it guys!”
Steven Henneberry, headteacher at Dallam School, said: “We’re excited to be involved in the festival and Steve and Izzy are an absolute inspiration to our students, offering a glimpse of where they could be in the future if they choose to focus on sport.
“We have excellent sporting facilities at Dallam which are used by ourselves, primary schools and our local community. Hosting and participating in a wide range of sports is a great way for us to encourage student health and wellbeing. And alongside our core sporting activities, our students take part in many extra-curricular activities, many of which make use of the recreational space on our doorstep – from our very own woodland to nearby coastlines and mountains.”
Mike Fell, Kendal branch manager for Handelsbanken, comments: “In Handelsbanken, we are actively interested and supportive of initiatives that encourage healthy living. Improving wellness for the whole family is so important whether this be through nutrition, exercise or other forms of relaxation. We hope the festival will be a great success and a well-attended event for years to come.”
The Wild G.O.A.T Festival is being hosted on the Holker Estate, in thousands of acres of South Lakes countryside, with historic Holker Hall and Gardens as the main hub. Ticket prices and packages have been designed to provide an affordable summer weekend break for active families. Working with Handelsbanken, organisers have launched an initiative to engage with local schools and award family passes to the event to some lucky pupils. Dallam School was the first to receive a visit from the festival team.
To find out more about the Wild G.O.A.T Festival and book tickets, visit www.wildgoatfestival.com.
Header image: Students and staff of Dallam School with Steve Cram Izzy Chrisiansen and a Wild GOAT Festival family pass.
