Mountaineer inspires students to aim high

Bonita Norris, the youngest British woman to climb Mount Everest, visited the academy, in Kingston Lane, last Thursday.

A sports ambassador who inspires youngsters to be ambitious, she described the way she set herself the dream of climbing the world’s highest mountain.

Kieran Felton, head of PE, said: “She engaged the year seven and year eight students with her enthusiastic delivery by recounting the countless challenges she faced in pursuit of her goal.

“This included raising a large amount of money, her training and, of course, climbing the mountain itself.”

She told students her extraordinary adventure taught her to aim high and dream big, to work extremely hard and to never give up.

Mr Felton added: “Having achieved her dream, she remarked that although she stood on top of the world for only 15 minutes, it was the relationships she had formed, friendships she made and experiences she had on her journey that she recalled with equal fondness.”

She told students keen to follow in her footsteps to remember the three things she learned and to climb their own ‘Everest’, whatever it may be.