A WOLLASTON primary school threw open its doors to welcome judo champion Tom Davis as part of an initiative to inspire kids to follow their dreams.

Tom, who has both British and Commonwealth titles under his belt, met youngsters at The Ridge as part of his work with a charity programme founded by former Olympic hurdler Dr David Hemery.

The 30-year-old sports star, who is hoping to make it onto Team GB for the 2016 Rio Olympics, stopped off at the Gregory Road school on Tuesday to kick-start a project called Be The Best You Can Be which pupils across all year groups are taking part in.

Tom, who is hungry for Olympic success after failing to make it to London 2012 due to an earlier injury, has been working with young people since 2008 and using his experiences as an athlete to inspire them to achieve their goals.

Headteacher Deb Hudson said after the visit: “He was absolutely brilliant with the children.

“He’d got a wonderful story to tell about how he set his goals and about the hurdles he’s overcome.

“It really motivated the children.”

She said the visit marked the start of a year-long project to encourage pupils to think about and plan how they might realise their ambitions.