20/04/2026
Today we had the pleasure of welcoming two incredible Paralympians, Louise Hunt Skelley who played wheelchair tennis and Chris Hunt Skelley who competed in judo, to our school assembly. They shared their inspiring journeys into sport and what it takes to become a Paralympian.
Louise, a former pupil of Wanborough, returned to us after previously visiting in 2012 to give a presentation. She spoke about a powerful memory of watching the Beijing 2008 Paralympics opening ceremony and dreaming of being on the court rather than in the crowd. Through determination and resilience, she worked her way from 23rd in the world to 18th to qualify for London 2012, and went on to qualify 10th for Rio 2016. Louise now visits schools to share her experiences and inspire others.
Chris explained how he competes as a partially sighted judo athlete, using touch to engage with his opponent. He even demonstrated how matches are paused if competitors lose contact. Like Louise, Chris was inspired by watching the Paralympics and went on to compete in Rio 2016. Although he didn’t medal there, he said he “won platinum” because that’s where he met Louise! He showed incredible resilience by coming back to win Gold at Tokyo 2020 and Bronze at Paris 2024 before retiring and moving into mentoring others.
A huge thank you to Louise and Chris for coming in and sharing their inspiring stories with us.
Our pupils were captivated by their stories and asked some fantastic questions. A truly inspiring day for everyone involved!
