A CHIPPENHAM school had a visit from swimmer Sharron Davies this week to launch The Big Pedal.

The Olympic medallist and TV presenter was at Queen’s Crescent on Monday to encourage the children in the massive inter-school cycling competition.

Frogwell and Ivy Lane primaries are also taking part in the challenge to cycle or scoot their journey to school for 10 days.

It has been organised by the charity Sustrans to encourage pupils to lead healthier lives and reduce traffic around the school gates.

Ms Davies, 52, who founded www.Parents4sports.com, said: “Parents are often bombarded with advice on keeping their children healthy and while they’re juggling family life with work life the potential of the school run can easily be overlooked.

“When children live near to school, changing their journey can transform their health by incorporating a little exercise into their daily routines, before the school bell rings.

“I believe that an active journey to school should become a part of a family’s morning routine, just like brushing your teeth.”

New YouGov statistics released by Sustrans on Monday, the day of the launch, reveal an epidemic of inactivity among youngsters, with moe than half (51 per cent) of parents of five to 16-year-olds in the South West saying their child does 40 minutes or less exercise on a typical weekday, while the government recommends a minimum of an hour.

Sustrans chief executive Malcolm Shepherd said: “Today’s children are the least physically active in history, and are set to have shorter life expectancies than their parents because of this.

“Physical activity is essential for healthy growth and development; it has been shown to improve concentration and attainment at school as well as encouraging social interaction and confidence in children.

"The most effective way to tackle the physical inactivity crisis among young people is to incorporate exercise into their daily routines by cycling and scooting to school.”

In a survey of schools that took part in The Big Pedal last year, 76 per cent of teachers said pupils continued to cycle and scoot to school after the event.