Athlete Charlene Attard, who represented Malta in the 2008 Olympic Games  and was the first Maltese female to run the 100 metres under 12 seconds, had her first taste of sports in gymnastics at the age of four with Skolasport, way back in 1991. During her pre-teen years at Skolasport, she dabbled in different sports disciplines until she found her passion for running.

Following a tip from her primary school teacher that Charlene is a fast runner, her parents encouraged her to take up athletics. "I remember my dad taking me down to Marsa track every Saturday morning to attend the Skolasport athletics session. From there, I joined Pembroke Athleta Athletics Club where I am still a club member. I also tried out the swimming sessions at Skolasport, but then found my vocation in athletics," reminisces Charlene.

"I started competing in long-distance events and road races. However, at 13 years, I decided to run the 100m for fun and I won. From there on, I decided to switch to sprints. My two proudest moments have been representing Malta in the Olympic Games in Beijing 2008 and becoming the first Maltese female to run the 100m sub 12 seconds (11.93sec)."

Charlene went on to represent Malta in six editions of the Games of the Small States of Europe where she won 10 medals (two gold, five silver and three bronze). She also represented Malta in the three editions of the FISEC games and won four gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

Named Athlete of the Year by the Malta Amateur Athletics Association for three consecutive years (2006-2008) Charlene came third in the Sportiva Nazzjonali award in 2007. In addition, she received the Malta Olympic Committee (MOC) awards four times during her career.

"During my 13 years in the national team (2002-2015), I represented Malta in different championships with main events being Worlds, World Indoors, European Indoors, European Cup, European Under 23, World Juniors, European Juniors and EYOF games."

When asked how the training at Skolasport helped her from a young age and her role model in her goal, she quickly replied: "Skolasport offers one the opportunity to discover the best sport discipline for that individual. Moreover, the qualified coaches instilled in me not just the technique, but also the love for sports. My coaches always believed in me and this helped me to keep training week after week."

"My parents are my role models for their ongoing support throughout the years. They always believed in me and still do. With my heartfelt thanks, I thank them for all the energy and resources they spent on me to make my dreams come true."

No doubt, the secret of Charlene's success is training hard to achieve her dreams. "I now realise that without the sacrifices I did, I would not have had the opportunity to represent Malta in the prestigious Olympic Games in Beijing."

Charlene currently works as a PE teacher at St Joseph Senior School, Sliema. As one of the head coaches of the #OnTheMove programme, as Skolasport is known today, she is also a member of the SportMalta board of directors and director at the Maltese Olympic Committee responsible for the athletes' commission.

"My journey with #OnTheMove started by attending the sessions as an athlete, then working as a coach and now I am a head coach within the programme. Thanks to this programme I kept myself involved with SportMalta throughout the years. In fact I had different opportunities, from being a facilitator during the European Youth Sport Forum (EYSF) 2017 last April in Malta and the help in making two of my ideas real - The Active School Flag award in conjunction with the Ministry for Education and Employment and the Zero to 5K with #OnTheMove."  

"Through SportMalta and #OnTheMove we are working to make grassroots sports more attractive and available to our children. I understand the difficulties the elite Maltese athletes face since I experienced this life. Through my positions at MOC and SportMalta, I am trying to give and pass on to our talented participants my knowledge and expertise for even better results for Malta."

Asked what advice she would like to share with young participants and their parents, Charlene replies: "To youngsters and kids: work hard and believe in your dreams to make them real. Be proud of who you are and play fair. Sports give you opportunities in other aspects of life... don't be afraid to take these opportunities.

"To parents: do not put too much pressure on your children especially if they are not the best in their training group. If your child is talented, give them time. That's why they have coaches to help them improve progressively, one step at a time. Some children leave sports because they cannot handle the pressure coming from their own heroes. Let them try and enjoy sports. It is a way of life."

The #OntheMove winter programme is sponsored by Kellogg's, the world's leading producer of breakfast cereal. For more than a century Kellogg's has been focusing on enriching and delighting the world through foods and brands that matter. The company has been extending its support to Skolasport since 1999 and actively promotes a variety of educational sports disciplines within SportMalta's winter programme.