Strongman Steel inspires children at Burnham Market Primary School

Zack George visited the school - part of the Wensum Trust - with his Zactiv workshop which he developed to promote healthy eating, exercise, confidence, hydration and a positive mindset among young people.

A whole school assembly heard Zack talking about his journey from a normal boy to gaining the title of the fittest man in the country in 2020 after he won the UK CrossFit Open competition.

“Steel was wonderful with the children, he spoke passionately about health, exercise and a positive mindset which was inspirational to hear. The visit was funded through the PE and School Sport Premium grant and forms part of our ‘Be Inspired project,” said Sally Morrell, PE Lead.

“The project has, over the last two years, brought Olympians, World Champions and Guinness World Record holders into school to inspire the next generation. We are immensely proud of our PE and school sport offer and are always trying to inspire all our pupils to be active, healthy and have a dream,” she added.

Zack’s journey also includes his experience of being a Gladiator on the BBC One series which launched in 2023, with the second season ending in April this year.

But away from the cameras, he runs Zactive workshops designed for young people aged three to 16 to inspire them into staying fit and healthy. He visited Burnham Market Primary, a member of the Wensum Trust, as part of the school’s PE and Sport Premium funded project, Be Inspired.

“He spoke passionately about having a goal and learning from setbacks rather than allowing them to have a negative impact. He spent time in every classroom, answering questions, chatting with children and signing autographs,” said Senior Teacher Ashley Williams.

The children were also able to have their photos taken with Steel as a memento of the day a Gladiator came to school.