A former British athletics champion attended a PE session in Bromley for the launch of EE's new kids smartwatch.
Paula Radcliffe, 48, was at Norman Athletics Track on Wednesday evening (February 9) giving kids advice on athletics through running drills and workouts.
The long-distance runner also tested the X5 Play watch which is designed for children to become more active while parents can stay connected to them.
Paula is a three-time winner of the London Marathon, a three-time New York Marathon champion, and a 2002 Chicago Marathon winner.
She also held the Women's World Marathon record with a time of two hours, 15 minutes, and 25 seconds for 16 years between 2003 to 2019.
The launch of the device comes after research by EE which shows the majority of parents in the UK who plan to support their kids through sports.
The smartwatch works through an app on a parent’s smartphone that lets them manage who their child can communicate with, as well as letting them set location alerts.
Paula told the News Shopper she urges parents to get their kids involved in athletics as it’s important for their mental health and wellbeing.
She said: “I would have loved the opportunity of having a device like the X5 play throughout my career.
“As a parent myself, it gives a great sense of security for my kids to know where they are, so I don’t have to worry about letting them go out to play.”
Research conducted by EE showed that 59 per cent of parents felt that their kids were less active due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Paula said this is a “great piece of technology” that she will benefit from using herself for her kids.
Danny Marshall, device portfolio director at BT and EE, said this device is for the “peace of mind” of parents so they can stay connected with their children wherever they go.
He said: “We knew we had to get Paula involved because she gives a great perspective on the benefits that the product has to offer.
“She’s also a parent herself and a great role model so it made great sense.”
The watch also has a step counter feature that rewards children with Xplora coins for every 1,000 steps taken.
The coins can be then exchanged for gifts and gadgets through the Xplora website.
The watch is available for parents to buy through EE’s website from Friday (February 11).
Have you got a story for us? You can contact us here.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.
Sign up to our newsletters to get updates sent straight to your inbox.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here