Badminton star Gail Emms, who won a silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics, and Kerry-Jane Williams, who plays hockey for England, met a group of girls from Wrenn School, Wellingborough, to share their stories of success with them.

The two sportswomen are 'athlete mentors' for Sky Sports Living for Sport, an online teaching resource aimed at using sport to motivate young people.

The pair arrived at the school in the morning and held a question-and-answer session with pupils, before joining the youngsters to play sport on the school's astroturf.

The group then went on to the Pemberton Centre in Rushden to use the gym.

Miss Emms said: "I had good fun with the girls from Wrenn School. We played rounders then went to the gym.

"They are a fantastic group of girls. I hope I helped instill some good messages into them."

PE teacher and school sports co-ordinator at Wrenn School, Julie Allen, said: "It went really well.

"Gail and Kerry came and spent the whole day with us.

"They did a presentation about themselves and the reasons they got into sport and gave the girls an opportunity to have a question-and-answer session with them.

"We did a bit of rounders, where Gail and Kerry were team captains, and in the afternoon we went to the Shokk gym at the Pemberton Centre. That was the girls' first experience of going to a real gym. The girls have really enjoyed it."

Miss Allen said the group were at week six in a nine-week programme involving various sports, and it was hoped the visit by the two athletes would spur the pupils on for the last three weeks.

She said: "We have done various activities, like ultimate frisbee.

"We went orienteering at Irchester Country Park and we have dance mats coming to use.

"I was speaking to Kerry and Gail and they have obviously talked to the girls, who have commented on how much they have enjoyed doing something different.

"Hopefully they have got a new lease of life."