Paralympic silver medalist inspires Dagenham pupils
A Paralympic swimmer amputated at the knee inspired pupils after telling them how she overcame her disability to win silver at the London Games.
Charlotte Henshaw, 25, was born with bilateral tibial hypoplasia, meaning her legs were under-developed and had to be operated on when she was 18 months.
She won silver in the 100m breaststroke in London last month and another silver at the World Championships last year in the same event with a time of 1 minute 39 seconds on each occasion.
Charlotte, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, met pupils at the library of All Saints secondary in Terling Road, Dagenham, on Wednesday.
Librarian Tracy Roome, 45, said: “She told the children not to get anything let them down and find a way round things.
“They were totally inspired by her. It was a real privilege to have her.
“Being an Olympic year, she lifted the whole school. It was a fantastic experience for everyone.”
Most Read
- 1 Ilford man has van crushed, given curfew for Barking and Dagenham fly-tips
- 2 Dagenham man fined within hours of fly-tipping at bus stop
- 3 Dagenham man jailed for 12 years for punching to death Marius Lakavicius
- 4 Company fined in court over builder's skips in Dagenham and Chadwell Heath
- 5 Barking BikeFest comes to town
- 6 5 of the best things to do with kids in east London
- 7 VOTE: Which east London fish and chip shop is your favourite?
- 8 Elizabeth Line opens: Londoners enjoy first day of service
- 9 West Ham's Kurt Zouma admits to kicking and slapping his cat
- 10 'Beautiful skin and incredible smile': What happened when the Queen visited a Dagenham school
All Saints history teacher Kelly Mordue, who is a close friend of Charlotte’s, organised the visit.