England Cricket’s Vice-Captain and Old Cranleighan, Ollie Pope, formally opened our new Fitness Suite on Saturday.
Ollie, who left the School in 2016, watched home cricket matches and signed bats for younger pupils, as well as meeting the Girls First XII. Many of his former classmates watched him take part in a Q&A with Head, Martin Reader, before he cut the ribbon on the new facility.
The Fitness Suite is a purpose-built extension to the Sports Centre, which includes a fully equipped gym with machines and free weights, four squash courts, a spin bike studio and a large dance studio.
In his talk, Ollie praised Cranleigh, its staff and facilities and thanked them for their role in his successful cricket career.
Guests gathered for a special afternoon tea and enjoyed dance displays and squash matches. The event marked the close of an exceptional decade of sport for Cranleigh, with a total of 121 team and individual national awards across 13 sports.
Cranleigh’s reputation for sporting success spans its almost 160-year history, shown in a special pop-up sport museum on the day. A fitting celebration as Ollie is the great-great-great-great-great-great grandson of the School’s very first Headmaster, Joseph Merriman.
The event was particularly special for Martin Reader, who retires at the end of the academic year, as it was a chance to reflect on sporting achievements over the last ten years of his headship. The Cranleigh community will enjoy further celebrations over the next few weeks of his final term.
