Train Like the Champions Athlete Circuit

A six-station circuit in which each station introduces a real athlete, female or male, and offers an exercise inspired by how they train. It builds basic fitness while celebrating the hard work of sports role models of all genders.

How to play

1. Make 6 cards with a photo, name, sport and one fact about the effort of a real athlete; choose half women and half men, and at least one Paralympic athlete.
2. Set up stations to match each sport: gymnastics (balances and jumps on a mat), hurdles (clear low hurdles), climbing (sideways crab-and-bear crawl between cones), boxing jump rope, swimming (strokes lying face down) and cycling ("bicycle" legs lying on the back).
3. Form 6 groups of 4–5 and assign a starting station to each one (3 min to explain).
4. At each station, one group member reads the card aloud (30 sec) and the group trains for 2 minutes like that athlete.
5. Rotate to the next station in 30 seconds until groups have visited all 6 (18 min).
6. At the end, each group names the athlete who inspired them most and why (4 min).

Rules

• Listen to the card before you start training.
• At the hurdles, always go in the same direction and one at a time.
• Work at your own pace without comparing yourself to others.
• Respect every athlete, whatever their sport or gender.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: include Paralympic role models and give every station a wheelchair version.
• Visual impairment: a partner describes the photo and reads the card; a rope on the floor replaces the hurdle.
• Different fitness levels: each card lists a basic challenge and a "champion" challenge to choose from.

Learning goals

• Learn about and value athletes of all genders and the effort they put in.
• Work on different fitness components in a varied way.
• Connect each sport with the physical qualities it requires.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cards: 6
• cones: 8
• individual jump ropes: 5
• mats: 4
• low hurdles: 4

Teacher tip

Choose current athletes your students can relate to; a lesser-known sport often sparks real curiosity. Make sure the hurdles are low and collapse on contact.

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