A morning with Declan Brooks 

The children at Whitestone had a fantastic morning with Declan Brooks, a BMX Freestyle Bronze Medalist from Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He shared his inspirational story of a quiet boy from Portsmouth who found his passion that led him to an Olympic podium!

He delivered a whole class assembly in which he shared his journey to becoming an Olympian! He spoke about how hard it was to get to the Olympics and shared all of the knockbacks he faced and therefore, emphasised how the children should always work hard in all that they do and follow their dreams. You never know where effort and persistence will take you!

Not only did we hear about his Olympic journey, but he also told us about the other amazing opportunities that BMX has provided him with! Did you know, Declan took part in the BMX scene in the Mary Poppins Returns film? He has also performed in Cirque Du Soleil!

He showed us so many tricks and even jumped over Miss Yeomans on his BMX, it was very exciting! We also had the opportunity to see his Olympic bronze medal and ask him some questions. Here are some of the questions that the children asked:

- What is your favourite trick?

My favourite trick is a front flip, I'm actually one of the best at performing front flips!

- What is your least favourite trick?

It would have to be a tail whip because it can hurt when the bike swings round and hits your leg! I have to wear shin pads to protect my legs.

- How many times have you competed in competitions?

Over 400 times! I have ranked in the top 3 150 times but it is important that you have to keep working hard even when you don't win. If I had given up I wouldn't have made it to the Olympics!

- Do you still compete now?

No, I still ride for fun however I don't compete. Instead, I coach other people who want to get really good at BMX freestyling. I'm going to be a coach in the 2028 LA Olympics. I'll be helping the riders to be the best they can be!

- How high can you jump on your bike?

I have jumped up to 38ft in the air but I needed a ramp that was taller than this school to jump that high! 

If you were inspired by Declan's story you could try learning to ride a bike or even join the Nuneaton BMX club!