Woodlands Meed students compete in Parallel Youth Games 2022 at K2 in Crawley

Some 39 pupils and 12 staff from the special needs school in Burgess Hill travelled to The K2 in Crawley for the 'mini-Paralympics'.

The games are for all Schools across Sussex to compete in and try new challenges.

Penny Gittings, who organized Woodlands Meed’s participation, said: ““The Parallel Youth Games is one of the highlights of our sporting year and for me personally is the event that I look forward to most.

“It is a brilliantly inclusive day that completely epitomises what sport should be about.

"Many never thought it possible that they would represent their school at such a big event, but every day our students continue to surprise us as they grow in to these increasingly confident, always inspiring young people that we have the pleasure of working with.”

Sports included boccia, new age kurling, street football, cricket, golf, swimming and tennis.

A group of students also represented Woodlands Meed in dance where they learnt a routine with students from other schools before performing it at the closing ceremony.

Olympian Montelle Douglas gave an inspiring speech before the Parallel Youth Games started. Montelle Douglas is the only British athlete to have represented team GB at both the summer and winter Olympics in sprinting and bobsleigh respectively.

Woodlands Meed students won medals in swimming, boccia, new age kurling and tennis.

Woodlands Meed is a generic special needs school and college in West Sussex.

Visit www.woodlandsmeed.co.uk to find out more.