Students Raise the Bar with mettle Weightlifting Club

10 Wales High School pupils completed a six-week introductory course in Olympic Weightlifting called ‘Raise the Bar’.

It shows young people the basic building blocks in strength training and weightlifting for personal development, fun and fitness.

Dave Hembrough, mettle founder and head coach said: “At Mettle, we want to help as many people as possible to enjoy the benefits of strength training to be fit, healthy and happy.

 

Weightlifting, when guided by quality coaches, is a safe, enjoyable, and accessible activity. It is recommended for both children and adults in the national physical guidelines”.

Wales High School’s commitment to extra-curricular and enrichment activities is very strong, with an extensive programme of opportunities to broaden students’ horizons by providing a diverse range of activities.

Lisa McCall, Headteacher at Wales High School, said:  “At Wales, we aim for every student to leave school with a strong interest in personal fitness and a lifelong commitment to healthy living.

 

Dave and his team at Mettle have been outstanding role models, using their expertise to help our students build confidence in their physical abilities and develop a genuine passion for weightlifting. I would highly encourage other schools to consider partnering with mettle—their impact on our students has been truly transformative.”

 

 

Upon completing the programme students had the opportunity to attend a celebration event where they visited mettle HQ at Kitlocker in Attercliffe, Sheffield.

At the event, each student received their certificates for the completion of their competency skills assessment and a special three-month bursary membership made available by Mettle.

This is a 50% paid for club membership, to support them to continue to explore their journey with Olympic Weightlifting.

Selected students who have shown an aptitude for Olympic Weightlifting also received a fully funded 6-month scholarship to support and develop their potential further.

To add to the celebrations, students had the opportunity to observe some demonstrations by Mettle youth club members and take part in a final training session with mettle’s professional coaches at Mettle HQ.

Dave Hembrough, added: “Weightlifting has many negative stereotypes, myths and misconceptions, especially around youth weightlifting. mettle is campaigning to set the record straight and share the sport with the world.”

The six-week programme is the start of a continuing collaboration between mettle and Wales High School.  The aim of which is to use weightlifting and physical activity to support young people to be healthier, more confident and to achieve great outcomes in life.