Team GB athlete Delicious Orie visits Birmingham college to inspire pupils to have a positive mindset to help reach their goals

Students at Queen Alexandra College got a surprise visit from Delicious Orie who encouraged the youngsters to embrace a positive mindset and go after their goals.

Delicious Orie, who recently competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic games in boxing, spoke to students at the college about the importance of having a positive mindset. The students learned about Delicious’ Olympic journey, and how taking action and setting goals helped him to achieve his dreams.

NatWest, proud banking partner of Team GB, ran a prize draw offering six schools across England, Wales and Scotland the chance to win a visit from a Team GB athlete. With more than 1,100 schools entering, Queen Alexandra College was one of the lucky winning schools. This initiative was part of the NatWest Thrive MoneySense programme which is a free programme for five to 18 year olds to help them reshape the way they think and learn about money, and help them build the skills, confidence and belief they need to own their future.

Delicious said “Massive thank you to NatWest for getting me involved with the NatWest MoneySense school visit. I truly believe that this is a fantastic opportunity to get young adults thinking about money management. It becomes a key aspect in all of our lives when we eventually face the big wide world. I really enjoyed speaking about my story and journey to the Olympic Games with the challenges that followed. I hope the young adults I spoke with today can take away the resilience aspect of my story, particularly the importance in being resilient in whatever it is they aspire to do in their lives.”

Kanchan Rajput-Goode, Assistant Principal Personal Development, Queen Alexandra College said: “The students thoroughly enjoyed the visit, actively participating in a lively and engaging session. They asked Delicious a range of insightful questions, making the discussion both informative and enjoyable. The students were full of excitement as they introduced themselves, had meaningful conversations with Delicious, and captured unforgettable moments with photos at the end. It’s so important for us to provide these valuable opportunities for our students, and we’re grateful to have been part of it. A big thank you to NatWest Thrive MoneySense and Delicious for making it all possible.”

Tim Ellerton, Commercial Director at Team GB, said: “Having the right mindset is a key part of any athlete’s preparation for an Olympic Games, so it’s brilliant to see them sharing what they’ve learned with children and young people. Through our partnership with NatWest, Team GB want to help empower these young people with the confidence they need to achieve whatever they set out to do.”

Marg Jobling, Group Chief Marketing Officer at NatWest, said: “Our Team GB athletes are amazing role models for young people. At NatWest, we’re committed to financial education and have been supporting young people for more than 30 years, helping them to build better financial know how and grow their confidence to work towards an independent future. I hope all the students enjoyed hearing from Delicious and left feeling inspired to really go after their own goals.”