THAI boxing sensation Rachel MacKenzie has been telling York youngsters what it takes to get to the top, writes Steve Carroll.

The World number one and Olympic fencer James Williams, spoke to would-be sports stars at the North Yorkshire Step into Sport Conference at the University of York.

Pupils aged between 16 and 18 from the Ebor and Jorvik School Sports Partnership were treated to a presentation and video by Mackenzie and got to meet Williams in a bid to show what can be achieved with hard work and dedication.

The event, organised by North Yorkshire Sport officer Rachel Beck, was given a makeover this year in an attempt to allow the pupils to get as much as they can from the day.

All the pupils involved are already on leadership programmes at school and will have all been through the Junior Sports Leader Award (JSLA) The Step Into Sport programme is the next "Step" with the pupils going into community sports clubs to deliver sessions.

Kevin Davies, partnership development manager for Jorvik School Sport Partnership, said: "Having people of this calibre can have a massive impact on the young leaders, as they can see and hear for themselves, from those who have done it, what you can achieve."

Andy Pope, partnership development manager for Ebor School Sport Partnership, said: "The whole day was a massive success. A lot of people work very hard to put this day together, and this year has been by far the best."