Isaac’s Story
Supporting a Positive Recovery
In 2022 Dame Kelly Holmes Trust delivered a pilot project at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital providing one-to-one mentoring programmes with our world-class athlete mentors, supporting young people on their journey to recovery during or following their time spent in hospital for a range of conditions. The project has since developed and become operational across more hospitals, supporting patients at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, with further delivery due to start in Alder Hey and Sheffield Children’s Hospitals.
The Alder Hey pilot, funded by Peter Sowerby Foundation, and developed in partnership with the Hospital, the project was co-designed by young people. Delivered online to be accessible from hospital and during recovery, the sessions focused on encouraging and motivating young people to become more active during their hospital stay, and once they return home. Our athlete mentors offered encouragement, support and importantly, someone to talk to who is not part of their healthcare plan - considered extremely valuable by many of the young people. Participants also had access to a wide range of online tools and resources designed to support their wellbeing, including bespoke video fitness sessions aimed at the needs of young people recovering in hospital and available at different intensity levels.
This year we caught up with Isaac - a participant on the programme, his mum, Sara, and his former athlete mentor, Kelvin Batey, to hear about how his recovery has continued, and to look back on his experience:
A talented rugby player, Isaac suffered an injury during a game, which lead to further complications meaning he spent time in Alder Hey. Determined to return to the sport following his accident, he physically recovered well, but he was nervous about returning and the potential for another serious injury.
His mum, Sara, shared:
“He was so excited to have the opportunity to speak to Kelvin and enjoyed their mentoring discussions. The sessions provided him with more of a foundation which he could work from, which distracted Isaac from worrying about the ‘what ifs’ and enabled him to think more positively. ”
During our catch up we learnt that not only has Isaac confidently got back onto the rugby field, playing for school and club, he is also participating in a regional Emerging Player Programme. Added to this, he has developed his love of two wheels (shared with former BMX World Champion, Kelvin) and has successfully progressed through the British Cycling Sprint Talent ID Programme whilst also taking up Judo and No Gi grappling. A delighted Kelvin shared some of his own cycling experiences and gave advice on pursuing his sporting goals.
Highlighting the importance of having a mentor during his time in recovery, Isaac shared that thanks to the support he received from Kelvin, he also now feels better equipped to manage set-backs by considering the bigger picture – something he says he would not have felt so able to do before this experience.
Reflecting on his mentoring sessions, Isaac said:
“Working with Kelvin helped me with the confidence to go back and play. He was successful in sport and had experienced injuries, so really understood how I was feeling.
It can be challenging going back after a big injury and it was overwhelming as I didn’t want to let my team down and was nervous going back. But I reminded myself of what Kelvin said, and it was all OK.
My confidence grew with every game, and I kept going, building my resilience and now I’m stronger and able to deal with challenges a lot better. ”
After our catch up, Athlete Mentor Kelvin said:
“It’s great to catch up with Isaac and see how far he’s come. I’m really excited to follow his progress, he’s a talented sportsperson who has the drive to succeed, and he has worked really hard to come back from injury positively. If he keeps believing in himself and working towards his goals, then he will go really far. ”
Since delivering the pilot programme, funded by Peter Sowerby Foundation, the Trust has been working with Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital delivering one-to-one mentoring across a number of departments. We will also begin a new round of delivery over the next few months in Alder Hey and Sheffield Children’s Hospitals, funded by Sport England.