‘I Didn’t Think I Was a Leader’ with English Kickboxing Champion Jess Roper
Jess talks about her amazing story growing up and how she became a Kick Boxing champion. The 29-year-old from Pett, who trains at Up-Grade Martial Arts in Bexhill, won the 2022 ‘Best Social Media Activity Award’ at the annual Sports for Schools conference in Nottingham.

What's this episode about?
Jess talks about her amazing story growing up and how she became a Kick Boxing champion.
The 29-year-old from Pett, who trains at Up-Grade Martial Arts in Bexhill, won the 2022 ‘Best Social Media Activity Award’ at the annual Sports for Schools conference in Nottingham.
Reflecting on her award, Roper explained: “I have been sharing consistently across social media to promote physical activity and sports which I passionately believe brings positivity, and to inspire future generations of champions by increasing their ambition and belief in themselves. I’m proud to be part of an organisation [Sports for Schools®] that is raising awareness of how physical activity increases academic performance.”
Some 83% of children do not do enough physical activity, while inactivity kills more people than smoking. Sports for Schools® is a social enterprise whose mission is to inspire children to be more physically active, resilient and to lead healthy lives by organising GB elite athlete visits to primary schools.