Thomas’s Foundation has been thrilled to offer the Be Inspired Lecture Series - a series of free talks from inspirational speakers, offered to pupils in local primary schools mainly in the boroughs of Wandsworth; Kensington & Chelsea; Lambeth; Hammersmith & Fulham. The speakers include high achievers in the media, sports, fashion amongst other industries.
The first lecture was delivered live via zoom, streamed into the pupils' classrooms but since lockdown, they have been recorded only.
Each talk is thirty minutes. The speaker shares their journey, the challenges they faced and some inspiring words, encouraging the children to also think big! The children have the opportunity to ask questions and explore what they have learnt.
Speakers
Dec 2020 - Yusra Mardini
Syrian refugee and Olympic athlete
Yusra, 22 years old at the time of the talk, is a Syrian refugee and Olympic athlete with an incredible story of courage and bravery. Fleeing war-torn Syria, Yusra faced a long and dangerous crossing from Turkey to Greece in an overcrowded boat filled with other refugees. When the boat's engine stopped, Yusra did not hesitate to jump into the sea to pull the boat for 3 hours to reach Greece. She went on to participate as part of the first-ever Refugee Olympic Team in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. In 2017 Yusra was appointed a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.
For more details on Yusra visit: https://www.yusra-mardini.com/contact
Jan 2021 - Matthew O'Donohoe
Head of CAA Sports International
Matthew O’Donohoe is the International Head of Sports at CAA, the world’s largest talent and sports agency, based in London. Matthew talks about the key moments that led to him getting his dream job. He explains the power of visualization, a skill he used to reach his goal. Matthew works with clients such as Jose Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dele Alli, Raphael Varane, James Maddison, as well as F1 drivers Nico Rosberg and Daniel Ricciardo while also representing the sponsorship rights for such global properties as Formula 1, Red Bull Racing, League of Legends and Seville FC.
For more details on Matthew visit: https://leadersinsport.com/people/matthew-odonohoe/
Feb 2021 - Mohamed Massaquoi
Former NFL Star and amputee.
Mohamed grew up in America after his parents travelled there from the West African country of Liberia. In his talk, he takes us through his incredible journey, reaching the top of his game in (American) football, playing for the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets, until his life changed in an instant.
For more details on Mohamed visit: https://www.thevessol.com/about
March 2021 - Ben Lyttleton
London based football journalist, consultant and author. Ben is the author of 'Twelve Yards: The Art & Psychology of the Perfect Penalty, 'Edge: Leadership Secrets from Football's Top Thinkers', and 'Football School: Where Football Explains the World', a best-selling series written to encourage children's literacy and open up the curriculum to enhance the learning process. Ben believes in the power of football as a force for good.
March 2021 - Annette Gallagher
Annette is part of the Diversity & Inclusion Team at Morgan Stanley, where she supports under-represented talent from diverse backgrounds to join a global top-tier bank.
March 2021
Green Minds is an initiative run by a group of students from Imperial College London MSc Climate Change Management that are enthusiastic about raising environmental awareness between the younger generations.