'If one kid can walk away knowing what their dream is, then I'll be chuffed': Wolverhampton pupils encouraged to follow their dreams by Gladiator, rugby star and author Fury
It was a day for pupils from schools across Wolverhampton to hear the words of inspiring athlete, Gladiator and now-published author as part of World Book Day.
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Pupils from nine schools from across the city spent an afternoon hearing from and interacting with Jodie Ounsley, also known as Fury from Gladiators on BBC One, at Wolverhampton Grammar School on Monday (March 3).
Jodie was at the Grammar School as part of World Book Day to talk about her own story and her path through playing professional Rugby, competing at the Olympics and becoming a Gladiator, as well as promote her new book "Keep Smashing It: Be Strong, Be Brave, Be Confident".
Through the session, Jodie interacted with the pupils in attendance, talking to them about their dreams and ambitions and getting them to write those dreams down on paper, as well as answering questions about her life, becoming a Gladiator and how she coped with being deaf, having been born profoundly deaf, then fitted with a cochlear implant as a toddler.
The pupils have come from Wolverhampton Grammar School, Wolverhampton Grammar Junior School, Perton Middle School, Merridale Primary School, Pool Hayes Academy, Bilbrook Middle School, Pennfields School, Heath Park School and SS Peter and Paul Catholic Academy.
For Jodie, it had been a heart-warming day for her to talk to the kids and she said she hoped the session and her book could help to inspire them to follow their dreams.
She said: "The book is just the whole mixture of all the experiences I've got through, from going to professional sport and then my role as Fury on Gladiators.
"I think, for me, it's been about showing kids that you might see successful people and just assume that they've not had to work hard or they've never had any ups or downs.
