OLYMPIC champion Hollie Webb, whose penalty goal won gold for Great Britain, had a special message for Wycliffe’s aspiring hockey stars.

“Always believe in yourself because. I’m just a normal person and I have achieved an Olympic gold medal,” Hollie told a group of year eight hockey players.

“You don’t have to be the most skilful person on the pitch. You don’t have to be the fastest person. Just discover what you are good at and work on those bits.”

The 26-year-old Olympic champion was at the Stonehouse school to officially open its new Astro hockey pitch.

She held a masterclass with girls, met parents and watched some matches, while pupils got the chance to look at the gold medal from Rio and Hollie signed countless hockey sticks.

For 13-year-old Ruby Rose, who plays for Wycliffe’s U14 team, meeting Hollie has inspired her to up her game.

“She’s just a normal person and she’s got to win an gold medal in hockey. If she can do it then anyone can,” Ruby said.

Ella Clements, 12, added: “Meeting Hollie has been inspiring. It makes you want to play better.”

Hollie said: “The girls here at Wycliffe are really enthusiastic and really keen to learn.”

The question all the girls wanted to ask was whether Hollie was nervous when she took the penalty shot in the Olympic final.

“It sounds odd but I wasn’t nervous. I didn’t let myself think about it. I stripped it back to what it was. It was just a penalty shot, just another game of hockey,” she said.

Head of Wycliffe, Nick Gregory, said: “Having Hollie with us will have inspired many of our girls to believe that they might emulate her amazing achievements.”