A world and Paralympic gold medalist visited a West Norwood school last week to inspire pupils to become sporting champions of the future.

Tim Prendergast, who was nearly completely blind by the age of 13, won gold in the T13 800m in the 2004 Paralympic games in Athens. Those competing in a T13 discipline only have 5 to 10 per cent vision.

He was at the Norwood School as part of the Youth Sport Trust’s Sky Sports Living for Sport programme– an initiative that uses the power of sport to motivate and inspire young people - and spoke to pupils about the struggles he went through in his quest to become a champion athlete.

Theresa Corcoran, the school's head of physical education, said: “It’s very exciting to have such an inspiring figure as Tim Prendergast give up his time for us like this."