Students from Reigate's Dunottar School for Girls netted a visit from Britain's former top tennis player recently.
For Sam Smith, tennis commentator for the BBC and BT Sport, visited the school to speak to pupils on how to succeed in a competitive world.
Sam was Britain’s top tennis player in the 1990s, when she reached the fourth round at Wimbledon.
She also played in the Olympic Games and in all the major tennis grand slams.
She told the students: “Successful people are driven by passion and are not afraid to take risks.
“In fact, most successful people have experienced several failures in their journey to the top.”
She advised them: “Keep trying - whatever it is that you want to do - and don’t give in to setbacks.” Pupil Bethany Ritchie, 15, said: “The talk was really interesting and I picked up a lot of important ways to succeed in the competitive world.
“Sam was highly inspirational and I learned a lot!”
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