Youngsters at London Fields primary pretended to be Olympic gold medallists, when they tried on slalom canoeist Etienne Stott’s Team GB gear when visited their school last week.

The children at the school in Westgate Street modelled the helmet Stott wore when he won Gold this summer, his wetsuit, water bottle, and buoyancy jacket.

The 33-year old also gave a motivational talk, encouraging the children to always do their best, to take small and positive steps in order to reach their goals and to remember that no one can know what the future holds and the need to believe anything is possible.

The children asked him questions like, “What was it like to win Gold?”, “Will you be taking part in Rio 2016?” and “What are the things that Tim Baillie (his canoeing partner) enjoys most and least about working with you?”.

“He answered all of the questions thoroughly and honestly and in good spirit, showcasing his excellent sense of humour,” said deputy head Katherine Betcher.

“The children got to know him better as a person throughout the assembly and he told them that when he is not training he enjoys watching the news, walking and reading,” she added.