Co-Ed Sport Festival: OL and GB Athlete Returns

Team GB athlete and Old Leightonian, Mia Waldmann, joined us for Whole School Collect; delivering her inspiring journey as we commenced the final day of our Co-Ed Sport Festival.

Mia shared the story of her remarkable journey in athletics, starting from her early days at the school, from Fryer to Sixth Form. She credited the PE Department for encouraging her to join Reading Athletics Club, a pivotal step that launched her competitive running career. Mia reflected on how those first runs on the Park’s fields grew into something much greater, with each small success building her confidence.

She spoke candidly about the milestones she achieved, from qualifying for the English Schools Championships to racing against international athletes and earning selection for England Teams. But Mia didn’t shy away from discussing the tougher parts of her journey. Injuries, emotional strain, and the pressure of high-level sport led her to moments of self-doubt and thoughts of quitting. Yet it was through these setbacks that she found a deeper resilience and clarity of purpose.

In a powerful message to current students, Mia emphasised the importance of listening to your body, remembering why you started, and pursuing sport for yourself—not for external validation. “Success isn’t linear,” she shared. “You have to find your purpose for why you started in the first place”. Her comeback story demonstrated how challenges can shape you into a stronger, more grounded athlete.

After her talk, APP students and Sport Scholars stayed behind for an exclusive Q&A, asking Mia about managing nerves, balancing academics with training, and her experiences at St Mary’s University. Her visit was a powerful reminder of the value of perseverance and passion, and left students feeling motivated to pursue their own paths in sport, whatever shape they might take.

Mia expressed on her return: I think it’s really important for people to come back to talk about their experiences because it puts your journey into perspective. So if I’d never come to LP, I probably wouldn’t have even started running because I was really encouraged by the people in the PE department. It sort of puts it into perspective from where it all started. When things get a bit overwhelming and you’re sort of always chasing the next thing, it’s nice to look back in time and think, oh, this is where it all started!”