Pupils at Southover Church of England Primary School in Lewes enjoyed an unforgettable day when Zack George – known to many as “Steel” from BBC’s Gladiators , visited the school on Monday 9th February for a special, high-energy assembly.

Zack delivered an inspiring talk focused on fitness, resilience and self-belief, encouraging children to stay active, look after their mental wellbeing and have confidence in their own abilities. The assembly formed part of ‘Zactive’, Zack’s school-based programme which promotes positive physical and mental health through fun, inclusive activity.

Following the assembly, excitement continued as Zack spent time visiting classrooms, chatting with pupils, answering questions and signing autographs, giving children the chance to meet him up close and making the day even more memorable.

Pupils were thrilled by the visit and learnt so much from the assembly regarding how much water they should be drinking, breathing techniques for when they are feeling anxious, and even how posture effects how they feel. Staff noted the positive atmosphere throughout the day and the impact the positive messages will have in the years to come.

Headteacher Mr Noel Fadden said: “Experiences like this are incredibly valuable for our children. Seeing someone they recognise talk openly about hard work, confidence and wellbeing really brings those messages to life. Zack’s assembly message about self‑belief, resilience, and trying your best, directly mirrors the school’s emphasis on helping our pupils grow in confidence and feel good about themselves. It was a fantastic day that inspired and motivated pupils across the school.”

Carolyn Sparks, Chair of the PTA, added: “We wanted to bring something a little different to the way the PTA supports the school. This was about creating an experience the children would truly remember. The whole message that anything is possible if you put your mind to it, is such an important belief to instal in children at such a young age. Seeing how engaged and excited the pupils were in the lead up to this day, and on the day itself, made all the planning completely worthwhile. I would like to sincerely thank our parents/carers for supporting our fundraising events, as their generosity enabled us to create such a special day for everyone at the school.”

A parent of a pupil at the school, Sammy Greatwich, said: “My son came bounding out at pick-up, excited to tell me about Zack’s impressive handstand in assembly. He was also thrilled to say, ‘It’s okay for me to have a bar of chocolate or a bag of crisps because Zack said so, and that keeping an 85% healthy diet leaves 15% for a little treat!’”

The visit was organised and funded by the Southover Primary School PTA, as part of their ongoing commitment to supporting enrichment activities that enhance pupils’ learning and wellbeing beyond the classroom.

Southover Primary School hopes the visit will encourage children to stay active, confident and positive long after the day itself.

By contributor Sussex World Article

Contributor

Published 9th Feb 2026, 17:49 GMT

Updated 10th Feb 2026, 14:33 GMT

Here are some facts that I can remember from all the wonderful questions the children asked on the day.

1.    For breakfast Zack eats a bowl of porridge, 6 eggs and two bagels

2.    Zack has over 10 allergies!! - including two types of nut allergies, dogs, cats, horses and even has asthma.

3.    If Zack could of chosen his own Gladiator name, he would have chosen Maximus

4.    He had to compete in over 40 fitness tests in his try out to be a Gladiator

5.    His favorite animal is a Silver Back Gorilla

6.    His favorite Gladiator is Hammer as he lives quite near to him so they hang out a lot.

7.    His favorite female Gladiator is Diamond

😎 Ask your children about Glimmers. Maybe you could start doing this within your family too?!