Did a special teacher or mentor change your life?

PARALYMPIAN Rebecca Redfern credits coach Mark Stowe with changing her life.

Rebecca, from Droitwich, thrilled Britain when she smashed her personal best and won a silver medal in the 100m Breaststroke SB13 race at the Rio Paralympics in 2016 at the age of just 16.

Yet only 18 months earlier she had not even considered herself as a potential Paralympian.

Mr Stowe, head coach at Worcester Swimming Club, where Rebecca is a member, was reading a swimming magazine when he spotted an article about visually impaired swimming in Rio.

He suggested para-swimming could be a route for Rebecca to pursue but the talented swimmer was not keen at first.

Rebecca said: "He was the one that pushed for me to go for the para-swimming.

"I'd never spoken about my disability to anyone.

"For him to say that to me was really hard, for me to accept that I had this disability, but now I realise I can do something with it.

"I told him that I didn't really want to do it.

"I didn't want to be known as the girl with the visual impairment.

"He said, 'I just think you need to try it really. It could open some new doors and we've got nothing to lose so let's just go for it.'

The pair originally started training with Tokyo 2020 in mind but Rebecca discovered she had a new-found confidence.

Rebecca said: "Suddenly my times dropped, my training picked up and I managed to qualify for Rio.

"I wouldn't be where I am without my coach.

"If he hadn't been reading that particular magazine on that day we would never have got here.

"For him to think of me while he was reading it was the big spark.

"Ever since then he's been by my side for everything, the ups and the downs and I don't know where I'd be without him.

"He brought out my confidence and brought me out of my shell.

"He was always there saying I believe in you."

She added: "Rio was amazing.

"I can't even think of any words to describe it.

"It was so amazing to be around the other half of the world and competing against all the top swimmers and Mark was there supporting me the whole way.

"It was a really good experience I will never forget."

*Kevin Purcell, Superintendent for South Worcestershire at West Mercia Police.

MY first school was St Thomas More in Coventry.

I can still remember, even though it is over four decades ago some of my first teachers.

One I remember in particular was Mrs Gould who was a great teacher who also was responsible for the school production of Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Enthusiasm and passion were the order of her teaching.

Later this was matched by that of Dr Pamella Murray-Hopkins at Worcester Business School at the University of Worcester when I did my Masters degree a few years ago.

I think it shows that such a keen approach delivers regardless of the age of the student.

*Mary Dhonau, flood consultant and campaigner.

I WAS born singing!

After taking the lead in my school opera, someone told me I ought to get some singing lessons and recommended a local singing teacher, near to where I lived at the time in Oxford.

Elizabeth Brazell was a truly inspirational teacher.

She supported, encouraged and slightly bullied the teenage me into working ridiculously hard.

She even gave me theory lessons for free.

She taught me how to perform, project my voice and how to command an audience.

As a result of her commitment, I gained a place at the prestigious Royal College of Music, where I studied singing for four years.

When I first moved to Worcester, I sang semi- professionally locally, which fitted in well with my life as a young Mum.

I now work in raising awareness of Flood Risk, where I regularly need to perform, project my voice and command an audience! Thank you Elizabeth!

Singing still plays a large part in my life.

I sing with both Worcester Gilbert and Sullivan Society and Great Witley Operatic Society and will be singing the part of a Genii with GWOS in The Magic Flute at the Swan Theatre later this month.

Without Elizabeth’s belief in my ability, I honestly don’t think I’d have made the RCM, or had the wonderful musical opportunities I’ve had.

*John Wilson, deputy editor at Worcester News.

WHEN I first met Jim McKay he had sweat on his forehead and a sledgehammer in his hand.

He had been breaking up his beloved printing press for scrap when he was called away from his work to greet me.

The newspaper he had owned, edited and printed had been in his family for generations. But the great period of consolidation in the industry had begun and Jim had decided to sell.

His cranky old press was no longer required. From now on his newspaper would be printed on its new owners’ more modern machinery.

They had kept Jim on as a kind of editor-at-large to mentor me, a cub reporter in my first job.

I would be working with him in his Dickensian old office on the high street of the Northumberland market town that was his realm.

He was cagey at first, unused to working with anyone who was not part of the family firm.

But gradually he opened up, sharing with me his many stories of Bob Gordon, the legendary miner-turned-reporter he once employed.

Bob, he said, was ambidextrous and could take notes with one hand while writing up reports with the other. I never found out if it was true or just one of Jim’s tall tales.

But more importantly Jim showed me how a journalist must understand the concerns and interests of the people he writes about.

Every morning he worked in the front office, which like many in those days doubled as a stationery shop.

He chatted to everyone who came in, and they told him so much about what was going on.

When it was quiet he stood at the window and watched the life of the town pass by, always on the lookout for stories. Always a newsman.

*Lindsey Cooke, headteacher at Hanley Castle High School.

I went to a large comprehensive school in South Wales.

It was the 1980s, there was a deep recession and my home town of Newport was being devastated by job losses at Llanwern Steelworks.

The Cold War was at its height and I, like most of my friends, was convinced that the world would end fairly soon in a nuclear holocaust.

Our major concern was campaigning for CND, and certainly not revising for A levels and targeting university.

However, I was fortunate enough to have one teacher who made an enormous difference to me.

She was a young, fiercely competent and slightly frightening German teacher.

Second best was never an option for her, and my major motivation was not letting her down.

It worked, and that German A level was my ticket to university.

We are once again facing uncertain times, but my hope for our young people is that each and every one of them has one fierce and wonderful teacher who pushes them to do the right thing.

Sometimes just one is enough.

*Clare Marchant, chief executive at Worcestershire County Council.

THE teacher who changed my life was called Mrs Hunter.

She was a scary lady who taught me history GCSE and A-level in a room full of boys.

Although scary she taught me to be curious, ask questions and that decisions made in the present impact future generations.

She was a real inspiration!

*Find out more about the Worcester News Worcestershire Education Awards in our special 16-page supplement, out today.