You could hear a pin drop as the most successful Paralympian of all time and a legend of para-cycling with 30 medals including an astonishing 19 Golds, told the pupils about her incredible journey.
Born without a functioning left hand, she overcame bullying at school, to launch an amazing sporting career, first as a swimmer and then as a cyclist, winning Paralympic titles and World Championships from the ages of 14 to 46.
All the way she ignored those saying she wouldn’t succeed just trying hard and following a process driven approach to forge her own path; for example, when told by her first swimming coach she had started too late at the age of 10. Then later in life transferring to the totally new sport of cycling to then make the Olympic squad training for the Games in London.
Her last endeavour was, perhaps, the most incredible when at the age of 46 she won two cycling Gold medals in Paris in the summer, beating a much fancied, home-based 19-year-old in the process.
Talking with a beaming smile, Dame Sarah told the special assembly "You need to be mentally resilient. You need to make a decision and then back your own decision all the way.
"However, always remember even in an individual sport, you are always a member of the team and everyone in the team is equally important. It is not just the person in the saddle or the one that scores the goals that counts: everyone has a role to play in a team and supporting roles are every bit as important."
Increasingly, a cogent, powerful and highly influential advocate for the development of the Paralympics movement and equality of opportunity between men and women, Dame Sarah can be seen toiling up and down the Cheshire highways and byways, from her home near Macclesfield. Such is her conditioning and determination, that she is even still considering competing at the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028 when she will be 50.
Rachel Cookson, Principal of King's Infant & Junior Division, said: "Our pupils were absolutely spellbound listening to Dame Sarah as she gave them an invaluable lesson in determination, self-belief and team-work, all key qualities we want our children to develop and value.
"Dame Sarah is a huge supporter of The King's School and we are incredibly fortunate to have her speak to pupils on the back of the World Championship and, just weeks before, the Paralympics in Paris."
Dame Sarah is pictured with School Captains Luca Williams and Olivia Saxton, with Charlie Storey in the middle, wearing the two Paris Gold Medals and the rainbow jerseys and Gold medals from the World Championships.