Paralympian Inspires Pupils at Dame Bradbury’s

Born with talipes (a clubfoot), Sugar spoke about her disability and her journey to become a paracanoe, track and field athlete.

Sugar, who won a gold medal in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, was born in Saffron Walden and studied to become a secondary school teacher. She left her role in 2015 to focus on her athletics career before switching to paracanoeing in 2018.

During her visit, Sugar said: “It was a pleasure to come back to Dame Bradbury’s today. I am from Saffron Walden and used to work here at summer camps so it was nice to see some familiar faces. The pupils were brilliant – they asked some great questions – and during our practical session, the children were bursting with energy and had some fantastic exercise ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed the morning.”  

Sports captains at Dame Bradbury’s also benefited from a private training session with Sugar, during which they were encouraged to design and complete a programme of exercises to build strength and stamina.

Reflecting on the visit Year 6 pupil and Sports captain, Jimmy said: “I thought it was inspiring how Laura never gave up, even with her disability. She taught me that I should never give up and always say yes to new opportunities.”