Athletes From Club Meet Two Olympic Champions In One Day!!!!!

Athletes from the club were delighted to meet two Olympic Champions in one day where Kelly Holmes and Ann Brightwell who represented Great Britain and won Gold Medals in the 800 Metres in 2004 and 1968 respectively were at Sandbach Girls School.  Ann Brightwell was known as Ann Packer in those days!!!!

One of the members of the club won a national competition and the prize was a visit by Kelly Holmes to their school, and to put the icing on the cake, there was a surprise for Kelly Holmes too.

The surprised being that the girls coach from Vale Royal Athletic Club Robbie Brightwell, was the husband of Ann Brightwell who won the 800 metres in the 1968 Olympic games and was only the second British woman in the history of the British athletics to win a gold medal, by some four days.  Ann Packer as she was known then, missed out on being the first British women to win an Olympic Gold Medal by some four days, beaten to that accolade by Mary Rand.

Both Kelly Holmes and Ann Brightwell (Packer) really enjoyed the day at the school and enjoyed meeting each other and all the pupils at the school, where there lots of photos taken and question and answer sessions.

As pupils of Sandbach Girls School and athletes from Vale Royal AC they were in awe of the champions and it motivated them all to continue to train hard in their respective disciplines.