Paul O’Donovan brings Olympic inspiration to World School Milk Day
From Olympic medals to the school milk webinar stage, rowing champion Paul O’Donovan is swapping the boat for the big screen to celebrate the 27th World School Milk Day.
The double Olympic champion will join a live webinar to share his experiences and hopefully inspire the next generation.
Primary schools across Ireland are invited to celebrate World School Milk Day by joining the webinar, hosted by the National Dairy Council on Wednesday, September 30.
Pupils and teachers will hear about O’Donovan's training and nutrition, see footage from recent school farm visits, and enjoy cookery demonstrations from home economics teacher Neasa Egan, author of the Folens textbook Recipes for Life.
Memories
O’Donovan said: “I have great memories of getting school milk during my primary school days in Lisheen.
“It was always one of the highlights of the day.
“I used to look forward to it every morning, and I loved it so much that I’d often go back and ask for a second or even a third carton.”
The Olympian said that after spending time running around the yard, “there was nothing better than a fresh carton of milk”.
Dairy continues to form part of O’Donovan’s diet as an elite athlete.
During the webinar, he plans to tell pupils about his training and nutrition.
He said: “I’m delighted to be part of this year’s World School Milk Day celebrations.
"I hope primary school pupils and teachers across Ireland will tune in.
"I’m looking forward to sharing a little about my training and answering some of their questions.”
‘Opportunity’
Meanwhile Emma Walls, CEO of the National Dairy Council, said: “World School Milk Day is a wonderful opportunity for schools to celebrate the role of school milk programmes while helping children learn more about nutrition, farming, and where their food comes from.
“Through the EU School Milk Scheme and our Moo Crew resources, we want to give pupils engaging and practical opportunities to learn about healthy, balanced diets.
“The National Dairy Council is delighted to welcome Paul O’Donovan, John Sharpson, and Neasa Egan to this year’s webinar, which promises to be an informative and enjoyable event for classrooms throughout Ireland.”
World School Milk Day is celebrated internationally on the last Wednesday of September each year, recognising the benefits and achievements of school milk programmes.
Schools can register in advance for the webinar or watch it live on Wednesday, September 30 at 11.30am by visiting the Moo Crew website and following the webinar link on the homepage.
