Hannah Scott, visited her former school today to tell us what it was like to win her gold medal at the recent Paris Olympics.

Dr Carruthers welcomed Hannah to the school and gave a brief synopsis of her time at Coleraine High School and then Coleraine Grammar School which culminated in an A* and 2 As and an offer to study at Princeton University in America. Princeton is one of the world’s top universities and they gave her the opportunity to continue her rowing career. After many years of hard work and determination, first at Bann Rowing club, then Princeton, then with Team GB she fulfilled her ambition of reaching the Olympics. The pupils in assembly were shown the results of all of her dedication as they watched the final 200m of her boat race which, as everyone knows, ended in success for Hannah and her crew.

Hannah told the enraptured audience about the work that she had to put in to get to this point in her career and reminded everyone of the importance of dedication to academia as well as to extracurricular pursuits.

After her talk some lucky pupils were able to see the gold medal and get their pictures taken with Hannah.

She also stayed to attend the Babel Zoo creative writing club at lunchtime, read a wonderful poem she’d written and became an honorary president. Hannah had been a member of the club when she was at school.