On 9 July, Paralympic gold-winning champion Jonnie Peacock officially opened the new multi-sensory room at Samuel Pepys School, St Neots. Peacock, who was born in Cambridge, lost his right leg to meningitis aged five. In 2012 won gold in the 100m sprint with a time of 10.90 seconds: setting the Paralympic record. An inspiring figure for all young people, he spoke of being inspired by the children he met, and the benefits the new sensory room will bring about for them.
“The kids are already loving it,” said Peacock. “There were children waiting outside to come and play in it; they were all so excited.” The multi-sensory room, funded by BT and the Lord’s Taverners, features lights, sounds and textures to appeal to all the senses and create a stimulating learning environment for children with a range of disabilities.
Said Peacock: “They’ve got all sorts of interactive things in there – bubbles, a wind machine, fibrotic lights, a vibrating beanbag – which all kids can get involved with and learn something at the same time.” Asked about his school days, he said:
“My school wasn’t as cool as this! I did my schoolwork but took any opportunity I could to play sport. But I never felt like I wasn’t able to join in, I was treated the same as everyone else.”
He also stressed the responsibility of schools to cater for the individual needs of all pupils. “It’s important to make sure they’ve got the ability to learn just like everyone else, and if they can’t, to adapt to their needs. It’s the same way I look at my training: if I can’t quite do something then I adapt it to make sure I get what I need out of it. You figure out how to get that result a different way.
“I think it needs to happen as early as possible and it looks like the teachers here are doing a great job giving individual support to the children. It’s really great to see the time and effort put in.”
He added: “Meeting the kids and seeing how much they were enjoying it was fantastic. There will be so many hours of enjoyment had in that place, thanks to the Lord’s Taveners and BT. To be part of that, and see the difference it made to these kids, was just amazing.”
Offering advice to young people with disabilities, he said: “Just to remember to enjoy life, and that you’re no different to anyone else. Things sometimes seem hard, but always remember that while there are bad times, there’ll be something good ahead.”
And we couldn’t let him go without asking: how did it feel to win gold? “It was several years ago, but I can still remember the race vividly and the feelings afterwards. The euphoria you get… you can’t get that anywhere else.”
