In March 2018, students at Worthing High school welcomed a very special guest – eight times Paralympic Gold Medallist and equestrian star Sophie Christiansen CBE! Sophie met students in years seven and eight, alongside the school’s sports and dance captains, and giving the school an insider’s story of life as a Paralympic champion.

Worthing High School won a visit from Sophie as a result of their students’ great work with Get Set’s Values Awards. By taking part in Get Set’s Values Awards students from Worthing High School had to learn to understand, live, and share the Olympic Values of friendship, excellence and respect and the Paralympic Values of inspiration, determination, courage and equality – taking part in a series of challenges and recording their progress online. Schools from across the country took part in the Awards, which were relaunched last year, with Worthing High School being one of the lucky two selected in a prize draw to be rewarded with a visit from a medal winning athlete!

In her visit Sophie discussed the Paralympic Values, giving students her insights into how they helped her succeed in her life as an athlete, and answered students’ own questions in two Q&A sessions (speaking before around 475 young people). 

Speaking about the visit Values Awards coordinator Marie Fields said, "I am delighted that the students hard work on the Get Set Values Awards has been rewarded. Sophie was inspirational and a role model for all generations." Headteacher Pan Panayiotou noted "This was an amazing opportunity for our students and we are rightly proud to be rewarded... Opportunities like these are really important for all our students enabling them to live and experience our core values of community, resilience, excellence, respect and integrity."

Well done to Worthing High School and all the schools who have been taking part in the Values Awards!