The AKA,Mombasa tries "jump roping"!

In January the Academy welcomed Michael Fry, who has been touring East Africa to promote the sport of jump rope. Michael is a student at Oberlin College, a highly selective residential liberal arts college (university) in the United States. He has represented the USA in jump rope and is keen to see the sport develop throughout the world.

Jump rope is a very simple sport which requires nothing more than a piece of rope or chord. It helps develop agility, balance and stamina and can be used to compose a very creative sequence often performed with music.

Michael spent a whole day in school working with pupils from Junior and Senior schools and demonstrated some amazing techniques in an assembly. He kindly left some ropes with the school which have already been put to good use during PE lessons.

Below are some student reactions to the demonstration:

“I found it amazing. I did not realize anyone could do all that with just one rope. He made it look as though the rope was actually alive”. Farrah Bhaijee DP1

“It was very interesting. What was also fascinating was that he said that someone had come into his school when he was very young to show exactly the same thing. It shows that it really is possible to inspire someone else through the actions that you take” Minal Ismail 10K

Our thanks to Philip Newton, Head of PE for this article