Pupils in Canning Town were taught how to play hockey by an Olympian last week to inspire them to lead more active lives.

Nicola White, a London 2012 bronze medallist, visited Eastlea Community School on Tuesday (Nov 13) where she have a motivational talk to students in a special assembly followed by by a photo and signing session with her hard-won medal.

She then used her talents to teach both staff and students on how to boost their goal-scoring skills on the hockey pitch.

Nicola said: “The London 2012 Games were a fantastic experience both for me personally as an athlete and for the whole country.

“It’s important now to use the excitement of the Games to inspire more young people to be more active more often.

“Not everyone can be an Olympic or Paralympic medallist but we can all succeed if we have a dream and the belief to achieve it.

“The most important thing is to find something you love doing and enjoy the challenge of becoming the best you can be.”

Nicola dropped into the Pretoria Road school as part of a whistle-stop tour of England organised by the British Heart Foundation to use the Olympic legacy to keep the nation’s hearts healthy.

Vicky Miller, PE teacher at Eastlea Community School, said: “Thanks to the BHF, Nicola’s visit has created a real buzz.

“Being so close to the stadium, Eastlea staff have worked hard to instil the Olympic spirit in our pupils, and this special assembly and hockey session for our young leaders have really helped bring the message home to staff and pupils alike.

“Here at Eastlea we’re keeping the Olympic Legacy alive, and hopefully we can inspire others to do the same.”

The British Heart Foundation are also offering a free active training days to pre-schools, primary, and secondary schools at www.bhf.org.uk/schools.