Inspirational Speaker programme: John Hoskison

On the 4th of February Mr John Hoskison kindly came into school to give all the boys a moving, powerful and interesting talk; I think I speak for most in saying that we took a vital message from it.

He spoke of the importance of saying no, which is very relevant in the lives of young men and which sadly he had to learn the hard way. He started the talk by telling us that it was at 17 that he knew he wanted to play golf and told an incredible story of how he worked his way to the very top of the golf world, but only by learning from his mistakes. As a result he became a European tour golfer, from 1978 to 1985. Mr Hoskison told us that at this point his life was going so well he made the simple mistake of not saying no: he exceeded the drinking limit and tragically killed a cyclist on his way home. There was total silence in the BSR as he told us his fate of being sentenced to three years' imprisonment. What was so inspiring was the way in which his sole purpose he had planned for his time in prison was to try and earn some qualifications so he could support his family once released. Mr Hoskison went on to tell us an incredible story of his time in prison and of his perseverance to make his way in life after the mistake he made.

We learnt not only about self-control, but also this: that even if your life does go from top to bottom, it is important to fight for the things that matter. In doing that, you can turn your life back around.

Charlie Gordon (5b)

Posted: Tuesday, February 7, 2012