Gladiators star hopes school visit will inspire pupils
- Published
Television gladiator Steel has said he hopes to show young people "anything is possible" after he paid a visit to a school in Leicestershire.
Steel, whose real name is Zack George, is originally from Leicester and dropped into The Fusion Academy, a special school in Barwell on Monday 11 November as part of a tour for BBC Children in Need's appeal week.
The gladiator, who has previously said he was overweight as a child, gave pupils a "movement masterclass" - a health and wellbeing workshop.
And he said he hopes his own fitness journey could provide a source of inspiration to the children.
Steel, now 34, said he was 13 when he decided he wanted to "turn his life around".
"When I was a kid I did not like exercise, I had a bad diet and low confidence, low self-esteem," he said.
"My message is really important because it shows the kids that anything is possible. A lot of kids think that we've been superheroes all our lives."
He added pupils were in disbelief when he showed them a photograph of his old self.
"Seeing the smiles on the kids' faces - it's been amazing," he said.
As part of the masterclass, The Fusion Academy pupils created their own Gladiator characters, complete with a signature stance.
Steel's visit to Barwell on Monday was the first of eight to different schools across the country in aid of BBC Children in Need.
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- Published9 July