Ipswich Town star Toto Nsiala joined primary school children on their regular run – to mark National Fitness Day.
The defender may have only just joined the Tractor Boys but he was massively popular with the students of St Margaret’s Primary in Ipswich, as he took to the track to promote the East Anglian Go Kids campaign.
The campaign promotes exercise and healthy eating among children – in particular, it encourages schools to sign up to the Daily Mile initiative, which sees pupils regularly walk, run or jog for 15 minutes.
It is supported by Ipswich Town Football Club, The Daily Mile Foundation, the East Anglian Daily Times/Ipswich Star, Suffolk County Council, Vertas Group Limited, and the East of England Co-op.
Vertas, which supply school meals, helped to organise yesterday’s event with the Town star.
Toto said: “It’s lovely seeing the kids enjoying themselves, it’s nice to see them jogging.
“This mile is massive, I see a lot of kids playing video games and PS4 instead of being active and keeping fit, just doing this twice a week it’s massive for the kids, it will get them fit and healthy.”
Yesterday was UK National Fitness Day, which promotes sports activity.
Sandra Bigley, the school’s PE coordinator, set-up a weekly, early morning run at the school last year and has since run twice weekly mile jogs for the children.
She said: “We will be doing three sessions next term and hopefully we can increase that to five so we can get a full school week of runs.
“I’m so proud of how well the children have done and how many turn out each day, also the parents who have been able to get them in early which is not always easy.”
Sandra was approached by Vertas who offered to help her with this year’s National Fitness Day.
Mrs Bigley said: “They were fantastic they offered to reach out to the club for us and now here we are. Toto has been brilliant.”
After completing his mile run, Toto cooled off by presenting the children with their mile certificates.
He finished by joining them for a healthy lunch served by Vertas.
He said: “I want to do more stuff like this coming out to see the kids and other people, inspiring them, if it puts a smile on their face then it does a world of good.”
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