That is what happened to an intrepid group of Oxfordshire teachers who bravely volunteered to help BMX rider Mike Mullen demonstrate his skills to pupils.
Mr Mullen, the 2014 UK BMX half-pipe champion and a former world champion, visited Abingdon School late last month as part of the school’s Be the Best You Can Be programme.
He spoke to 120 pupils at the all-boys’ school and treated them to a BMX display. In the process he encouraged pupils to realise that “the biggest challenges teach the best lessons” and that self-reflection and never giving up on yourself are crucial if you want to succeed.
The Be the Best You Can Be initiative was inspired by the London 2012 Olympic Games, with the aim of helping young people discover their unique potential.
Abingdon School, which has 960 pupils on its roll, has run the programme for its year 7 and 8 pupils for nearly five years. Students have a Be the Best You Can Be lesson once every two weeks, during which they discuss topics like comfort zones, values, target-setting and working as a team to get the best results.
The Abingdon programme is led by classics teacher Adam Jenkins, who himself learned how to do a track stand on-stage during Mr Mullen’s visit.
Six teachers then held their nerve while Mr Mullen jumped over them on his bike.
“Seeing the teachers doing things outside their comfort zones really caught the boys’ imagination,” said Mr Jenkins, who is head of year 7 and year 8. “The teachers told me that when they saw Mike Mullen coming towards them it was slightly heart-stopping but once they realised he was going to clear them quite easily they were fine.
“I surprised myself by learning to do a track stand. I do a bit of road cycling but I had never ridden a BMX bike before. Mr Mullen made the point that it’s a good idea to break a challenge down into manageable instructions and do it bit by bit.”
