On Tuesday 2nd July the girls of Croydon High School were delighted to welcome Olympian and NFL player Lawrence Okoye to the school for an inspirational talk. Lawrence has been a major talking point in sport since he reached the final of the discus event at London 2012 as part of Team GB. Okoye later expressed his intention to play for the National Football League (NFL) in America, despite having never played the game before. At the NFL super Regional Combine, Okoye ran the 40-yard dash in 4.78 seconds, while scoring 36 inches on the vertical jump and seven inches on the broad jumps. In April this year, Lawrence signed for the prestigious San Francisco 49'ers and has spent the last few months in California training with his team.

Lawrence told the girls his determination to succeed is based on hard work, dedication and staying focused on the future – even from a very young age. He said, "Life is full of opportunities – those who take them, win and those who don't lose. Don't be afraid to grab what you want – success is always in reach."

After answering some of the girls' questions, Lawrence took to the athletics field and demonstrated his discus throwing skills in front of the whole school. _

Afterwards, head teacher of Croydon High School Mrs Leonard, said: "It was a truly memorable morning which will hopefully inspire the girls to follow their dreams, as long as they are prepared to work hard!"