BARNSLEY’S boxing champion Callum Simpson paid a visit to the college to speak with students about the power of self-belief.

He described his journey from growing up in Barnsley to his amateur and professional career, and the challenges he faced along the way.

Students listened as he described how perseverance and consistency helped him progress to where he is today.

After the talk, Callum took part in boxing drills with students, who attend weekly sessions led by teachers Luke Beaumont and Obada Herash.

Kelly Ardron, head of foundation learning, said: “We’d like to give a huge thank you to Callum for being so generous with his time - after his talk, he stopped for photos and chatted with almost every student.

“It was inspiring to see our students so engaged, motivated and proud to connect with someone from their own town who has achieved so much.

“Boxing is a fantastic way of developing discipline, focus and self-regulation - seeing Callum, someone who’s made it to the very top, demonstrate those qualities in person was really powerful.

“Callum said during his talk that he wasn’t anyone special.

“I disagree - how he uses his story to inspire others is really special.”

Callum added: “Visits like this are really important to me because I remember being in those students’ shoes.

“It’s about showing young people that you don’t have to have everything figured out straight away, and that if you stay consistent, work hard, and believe in yourself, you can achieve whatever you set your mind to - whether that’s in sport, or anything else.”