Why an Olympic star told us that ‘failing is good’

Liz Laybourn, Head of Burgess Hill Girls, explains how guest speakers have had an inspirational effect on pupils...

‘Failing is good’

Just one of the powerful mantras that girls should adapt as their own if they want to achieve their dreams.

A vital part of the curriculum at Burgess Hill Girls is our programme of guest speakers. We invite a wide variety of incredible women to visit our school, from Women’s Equality Party Leader Sophie Walker to Antarctica Ice Maiden, Sophie Montagne. Their life stories inspire our girls to set their sights high as well as give them some invaluable and practical tips on how to get there.

Most recently Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold was the guest of honour at our Junior School Sports Day.

Winning consecutive Olympic gold medals in 2014 and 2018, Lizzy is the most successful British Winter Olympian and the most successful Olympic Skeleton athlete of all time from any nation.

She stayed for the whole day at Burgess Hill Girls, chatting with girls, answering their questions and cheering them on.

She also gave a powerful motivational speech about the challenges she faced in her bid to be an Olympian, reducing several girls and staff to tears.

For one girl in particular, Lizzy’s visit was particularly inspirational. As a teenage heptathlete and javelin thrower, Lizzy’s sporting hero was Britain’s Goldie Sayers. Sayers is also the idol of Burgess Hill Girls Year 10 pupil Peanut Meekings, aged 15, who throws javelin for Sussex.

But very few of us connect Lizzy with javelin. Lizzy revealed at the age of 18 she realised she wasn’t going to make it and began to explore other events to succeed in her dream of becoming an Olympian.

Through UK Sport’s Girls4Gold talent identification programme, she was identified as having potential in skeleton, in which a single rider on a small sled, known as a skeleton bobsled, hurtles down a frozen track while lying face down and head-first.

Seven years later she was World Champion, winning Gold at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and then again this year in Pyeongchang.

There are three lessons we can take from Lizzy’s story. Firstly to aim high, secondly to be able to adapt. The third and perhaps most surprising lesson is that failing is good. In her own words: ‘Succeed and celebrate; fail and you learn.’ As she pointed out, ‘you don’t win much in life, so it is very important to deal with losing and to see it as a positive.’

‘Failing is good’ fits very closely with our philosophy at Burgess Hill Girls. Our nurturing and empowering community gives girls the complete freedom to take risks, to challenge themselves, to try new experiences and, most importantly, to make and learn from mistakes. A true driver in developing the necessary character and skills to succeed in the long term. And who knows, you might be seeing a Burgess Hill Girl on the podium some time soon.