Olympians Geraint Thomas and Steven Burke attended the Black Country University Technical College’s ‘Accelerate Live’ event last weekend, inspiring students to learn about science and engineering.
(l-r): student Ross Page (15) with Geraint Thomas and fellow student Mwaka Musuumba (15)
Geraint Thomas and Steven Burke, the record-breaking Team GB cyclists, were welcomed to the Black Country UTC on Saturday 24th November, where students were invited to meet and greet the inspiring stars.
Over 150 students attended ‘Accelerate Live’ at the College, in Vernon Way, Bloxwich, Walsall, the first in a run of ‘Live Series’ events, which will showcase the science of engineering through fascinating presentations and exhibitions. The next event, the ‘Tell a Friend’ open day, will be taking place on Thursday 6th December from 6.00pm until 8.30pm at the College.
Also at the event on Saturday was the award-winning ‘Pedals to Medals Interactive Experience’, which took visitors on a journey through the evolution of the bicycle, from Penny Farthing to Olympic 2012 mean machine.
When asked how bicycles have changed over the years, Geraint said: “Bikes are just getting better and better. Each year, changes being made and when you look back over a long period of time, the developments are remarkable. They really highlight the power of engineering.”
Geraint also praised the facilities the Black Country UTC has to offer students, saying: “I wish I’d had similar available to me when I was at school.
(l-r): Black Country University Technical College. L-R, Lesley Broadway (Assistant Principal), BC UTC student Megan Jones (16), Geraint Thomas, Chris Hilton (Principal), BC UTC student Primrose Mazendame (15)
“We’ve been working closely with a bicycle developer recently and it is really interesting to learn about the engineering behind it all. Hopefully this event will have inspired the kids. Who knows, they could be the engineers of the future, helping us to win even more gold medals!”
Chris Hilton, Principal of Black Country UTC, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Geraint and Steven to the College.
“We hope that this event will have engaged the students with science and engineering.”
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