Skip to content

Paralympic gold medallist opens school building

BBC A head-and-shoulders shot of Maisie Summers-Newton smiling directly at the camera. Her hair is half up, half down. She is standing in front of a yellow and red climbing frame. She is wearing a GB Paralympic blue zip-up hoodie.BBC
Maisie Summers-Newton, who trains with Northampton Swimming Club, is a five-time Paralympic medallist

A four-time Paralympic gold medal winner has opened a new school building for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).

Rowan Gate Primary School in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, invited swimmer Maisie Summers-Newton to unveil the permanent building that replaces two temporary classrooms.

Summers-Newton said: "I love being part of the community where I can display my medals and share my experience and values."

Julia Coles, acting head teacher, said it was important for the children to "see someone who has struggled and experienced being different".

Summers-Newton, 22, from nearby Wollaston, has dwarfism and was inspired to hit the pool after watching fellow Northampton swimmer Ellie Simmonds succeed at London 2012.

She won two gold medals and a bronze for Paralympics GB at the recent Games in Paris.

Alongside swimming, she has just become a qualified teacher.

The new building at Rowan Gate will cater for 140 pupils and provide them with more space.

"It was inspiring to come into this environment and see how important it is for these children," Summers-Newton said.

The view at the back of a school assembly. Pupils are wearing a teal blue coloured uniform. Maisie Summers-Newton is addressing the pupils at the front, next to a TV screen showing her Paralympic achievements.
The new school building cost £1.6m to construct

The Paralympian brought her medals to the school, and found the pupils "saw things that other children may miss".

"They recognised the bumps and talked a lot more about the weight and what they looked like," she said.

"It put a lovely perspective on the medals and showed them in a new way."

A woman from the chest up is smiling directly at the camera while in front of a red and orange climbing frame. She is wearing a yellow cardigan and a black spotty dress. She has glasses and curly, bob length hair.
Julia Coles spoke of her delight at the Paralympian coming to the school

Acting head Ms Coles said Summers-Newton had "achieved and gone on to great success and will hopefully help to give them [the pupils] aspiration for the future.

"We are thankful that Maisie has become a part of this building and opened it for us."

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

More on this story
Related internet links