When Alex met Usain Bolt

Stepney All Saint Student meets his idol, Usain Bolt 

At the start of December, student Alex Jianoran from Stepney All Saints School was surprised by a visit from one of his idols, eight-time Olympic gold medallist sprinter, Usain Bolt.

Alex is a keen sprinter who has “fallen in love with running” and was encouraged by the Head of PE at Stepney All Saints School to join the local Mile End Camp, an athletics based training programme delivered by coaches Yourlance Richards and Chris Zah at Mile End stadium.

Whilst at the Mile End Camp, he was approached by a member of the running group to participate in a video advert for Virgin Media, experiencing a one-to-one gaming experience with the world’s fastest man appearing as a super realistic 4k hologram, powered by gigabit broadband. Little did Alex know, that he would actually be meeting his idol in person too!

“My experience gaming with Usain Bolt was really competitive. We talked a lot about training methods, and Usain was really supportive when it came to him giving me advice on my own sprint training. Talking with Usain was an overwhelming experience; he was extremely chill and had good vibes. He supported and encouraged me to keep working towards my goal, which requires hard work, dedication and discipline. I enjoy working towards goals, as it sets a challenge for me to achieve.”

Alex’s Head of Year, Ms Mazada Begum commented “Alex is a very active student, who takes part in a number of our school’s enrichment activities. I am thrilled that his dedication led to him being selected to meet one of his all-time favourite athletes and hope it encourages him to keep focussed.”

“I train three times a week to try and improve my athletic performance” said Alex. “As well as focussing on academics, one of my goals is to become an Olympic champion and win may other world championships.”

The Virgin Media advert can be viewed here: