PHOTOS: Gold medallist at Robert Smyth Academy's 24- hour sports marathon

Crowd pleaser...all the students before the 2017 Lock-in at Robert Smyth Academy.
PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER — Crowd pleaser...all the students before the 2017 Lock-in at Robert Smyth Academy. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER

Canoeist Emma (36) won gold for Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, and plans to push on to compete in 2020 in Tokyo.

She was visiting Robert Smyth Academy in Market Harborough to encourage students taking part in the school’s 10th charity “lock-in”.

She said: “I just wanted to tell the students to be passionate about whatever it is they’re doing and believe that anything is possible.”

Centre, Emma Wiggs MBE Olympic Champion at the Rio 2016 Paralympics with Mike Scully, Joe Price, Susannah Hickie, Lily Mills and Thomas Sanderson before the Robert Smyth Academy 2017 Lock-in.
PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER — Centre, Emma Wiggs MBE Olympic Champion at the Rio 2016 Paralympics with Mike Scully, Joe Price, Susannah Hickie, Lily Mills and Thomas Sanderson before the Robert Smyth Academy 2017 Lock-in. PICTURE: ANDREW CARPENTER

Around 130 students in fancy dress and carrying team banners took part in the lock-in - a 24-hour sports session to raise cash for charity.

The marathon PE lesson, supervised again by head of PE Mike Scully, aims to raise thousands of pounds for three local centres who help people with disabilities.

This year’s total won’t be known until next month, when all the sponsorship money is collected.

Mike said: “It was a really, really good event. The students worked very hard.

“And lots of them had pictures with Emma Wiggs and her gold medal!”