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London 2012 gold medal cyclist Victoria Pendleton visits the Robert Napier School in Gillingham for Sport Relief

A surprise visit by Olympic gold medalist Victoria Pendleton was the icing on the cake for Sport Relief fund-raisers at Robert Napier School.

And students didn’t miss a chance to challenge the cycling star, with the ‘interview of her life’ during a question and answer session with students at the Gillingham school.

“This was the most interesting and diverse set of questions I’ve ever faced in my life,” said the Olympic athlete during her first visit to Medway.

The Q&A session was just one of half-a-dozen events at the school, set in motion by the queen of the velodrome, including a charity mile, cycle challenge and a bake off for Sport Relief by students.

Victoria, who won a gold and silver at London 2012 to follow her gold at Beijing in 2008, visited the secondary school after it won a nationwide Sport Relief competition.

Victoria Pendleton is visiting the Robert Napier School in Gillingham as part of Sport Relief
Victoria Pendleton is visiting the Robert Napier School in Gillingham as part of Sport Relief

It comes a week after Sir Steve Redgrave visited the Rochester Math School to congratulate pupils on their fundraising efforts.

Meanwhile, people across the rest of Medway are doing a variety of events to raise money for the cause.

Sport Relief logo
Sport Relief logo

Sunday sees the Gillingham Sport Relief run at the Great Lines Heritage Park, when participants will have the option of completing one, three or six miles.

Organiser Shannon Page, a student at the University of Kent’s Medway campus, said it would be more than just a run.

“I have face painters, sport massagers, ice cream and hot drinks being sold. It’s looking good,” she said. Mayor of Medway, Cllr Josie Iles, will start the event at 10am.

Junior players at Gillingham Anchorians Hockey Club are planning a gruelling training session on Sunday.

From 10.45am, they will dribble, dodge, tackle and shoot their way around five-and-a-half laps of the Darland Avenue pitch to meet the one-mile Sport Relief challenge.

There will be a similar but smaller event for the under-10s, followed by a cake sale in the clubhouse.

Staff at Sainsbury’s in the Pentagon Shopping Centre, Chatham, will be doing their bit for Sport Relief today with bike riding, dancing and more as volunteers encourage shoppers to part with their cash.

What are you doing for Sport Relief? Let us know by leaving a comment below or email medwaymessenger@thekmgroup.co.uk

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