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Freshwaters Primary Academy, in School Lane, Harlow, has launched the London 2012 legacy programme, Be The Best You Can Be, to inspire children to pursue their dreams.

Olympic gold medallist and former world record holder Dr David Hemery CBE is the founder of 21^st Century Legacy and the project being embraced at Freshwaters.

The launch event saw Paralympian gold medallist Wendy Smith visit the school to introduce the achievement of dreams into the curriculum.

The wheelchair basketball star, from Essex, said: “At the age of 17, I had a horrific motorbike accident. This resulted in a severe spinal injury, among lots of other injuries, and a year-long stay in hospital. I was told I would never walk again. However, I battled for years at the gym, devising my own rehab plan, and now walk with sticks.

“I represented Great Britain in Athens 2004 as a member of the GB women’s wheelchair basketball team. I have qualified as a sports massage therapist, sports psychologist, basketball coach, referee, classifier, NLP and EFT master and am just starting to train as a sprint kayaker.

“I believe in the program because it really does work. I have seen children transform from states of ‘I can’t do that’ to ‘I can do that’ within the three hours I attend schools for. At the end of the programme, all the children involved understand their lives are their creation and responsibility and that with belief and application, they can.”

Children will now be taught the skills they need to follow their dreams to begin their own successful journey, raising their self-confidence and self-esteem and raising their aspirations.

Head of school Marios Solomonides said: “The children really took to Wendy as she is from Essex and so they could relate to where she started from. She showed them life isn’t just about having one plan, but having a plan B and C, too. She wanted to be a mechanic before her accident and so didn’t focus on anything else at school. Her accident made her change her path.

“This programme is for both children and adults and helps them with self-awareness and self-responsibility, but also about making choices. We are looking at how to implement the programme throughout school, but are confident it will raise attainment as it will make the children more focused and see a purpose to what they are learning. We want our adults and children to be saying ‘yes, I did that, I didn’t give up because I am resilient’.

“Life isn’t about competing against others to be the best, it’s about being the very best you can be and competing against yourself. You will never get high achievement unless people have the belief they can achieve it.”