Rachael Mackenzie launches National School Sports Week

South Wales Argus

20-06-2025

The Thai boxing world champion was attending a day full of activity at Dame Dorothy Primary School in Sunderland as part of the campaign promoting the importance of daily physical activity by encouraging schools, families, and communities to engage in 60 minutes of PE, sport, and play.
Mackenzie took part in a Q&A with pupils and got stuck into activities, including hockey sessions led by the pupils, knowing firsthand the power sport has to positively impact lives.
'Sport for me as an individual was transformational. I was a fairly inactive teenager, and I found my sport of Thai boxing at 18 years of age having come through some really significant mental health problems,' she explained.
'It was actually finding sport and learning to thrive in that environment that taught me how to manage my own mental health because sport's a great place for children to learn to fail but also to learn their strengths.
'Personally, it was sport that gave me that robustness and resilience to be able to cope with life really and to cope with everything that life throws at you.'
Now, Mackenzie is passing on that impact of sport as a Youth Sport Trust Athlete Mentor with the need for the awareness of the positive impact of sport greater than ever.
Research shows that less than a third of teachers and parents are currently aware that children and young people should be active for 60 minutes a day.
'It's really important for kids to remain active over the course of the day because it's one of the foundations of normal brain development,' said Mackenzie.
'Active children have happier, healthier, bigger brains, brains that are primed for learning. We see in brain imaging but also in results for young people that those children who are active outperform those inactive young people.
'So young people who meet those recommended daily 60 minutes actually perform better academically. We see that those children are more productive and, most importantly for me, those children are happier.'
Dame Dorothy Primary School are setting the standard for schools looking to incorporate more movement into their school day with an 'always active uniform' that allows children to move freely throughout the day and a perimeter path for children to go on runs at school.
'It's a real joy to be here at Dame Dorothy for the start of National School Sports Week,' added Mackenzie.
'The opportunities for the children here are absolutely outstanding but what I have loved more than anything is the energy and the enthusiasm of the young people themselves.'
National School Sports Week is an annual campaign by the Youth Sport Trust, dedicated to celebrating the power of PE, sport, and play to build brighter futures. This year, powered by Sports Direct x Under Armour, marks the 30th anniversary of the Youth Sport Trust, who is a UK leading children's charity for improving young people's wellbeing through sport and play. Visit www.youthsporttrust.org.