Cookstown Performance Lab seeking healthy schools

Childhood obesity may be reaching epidemic proportions across the UK and Ireland, but one local business have decided to do their bit to reverse the tide.
Pictured at the launch of their Superheroes competition for schools are Performance Lab staff members (from left) Coach James Knox, Director Martin Loughran, Coach Steven McCoombe, Director Gerard Gervin, Coach John McIvor.Pictured at the launch of their Superheroes competition for schools are Performance Lab staff members (from left) Coach James Knox, Director Martin Loughran, Coach Steven McCoombe, Director Gerard Gervin, Coach John McIvor.
Pictured at the launch of their Superheroes competition for schools are Performance Lab staff members (from left) Coach James Knox, Director Martin Loughran, Coach Steven McCoombe, Director Gerard Gervin, Coach John McIvor.

The Performance Lab, based outside Cookstown, are one of the province’s elite fitness and training facilities, with some of the country’s top emerging sports stars in their stable.

And now they are doing their bit for local kids by putting up a prize worth an amazing £5000 to help young people set off on the right physical fitness path.

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Their Superheroes programme teaches primary school aged children a range of key movement and strength exercises, but in a fun way as they are in the guise of some of their favourite Superheroes. So for example all of their planking is Superman, squats are Iron Man with his jets, crawls are Spiderman, and Hulk brings the lifting poses.

The programme has proven to be extremely popular in a number of local primary schools, as well as the classes which run weekly in the gym. But now kids from the wider area have the opportunity to benefit with five local schools set to be selected to receive the programme, worth £1000 per school, absolutely free for a year.

Nominations are being sought from parents and teachers of local primary schools who wish to be considered for this amazing prize.

The aim of the programme is “building stronger kids to make healthier adults” and introduces children in their formulative years to the importance of movement, balance, strength and co-ordination, as well as simply being active.

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The Superheroes programme is exclusive to The Performance Lab, and has been compiled by some of the world’s leading experts on kids physical literacy. Teachers are taught how to deliver the programme, with each child having their own unique online login to chart their progress. They are scored on each move over the course of the year, and have the opportunity to practice at home using demo videos of each move with their siblings and parents.

Full details on how to nominate are available on The Performance Lab Cookstown social media channels, and remain open until noon on Monday, October 29. An expert panel, including local sports stars, will help to shortlist the entries before choosing the five lucky schools.