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CHILD'S PLAY: Claire Gibson and nine-time World Championships representative Kim Collins with their young audience

AVIVA GB & NI debutante Claire Gibson and nine-time World Championships representative Kim Collins (SKN) took time out from preparations for this weekend’s Aviva International Match to visit youngsters at Sacred Heart RC Primary School in Bridgeton, Glasgow today ahead of Saturday's action at Kelvin Hall.

Collins, who will represent the Commonwealth Select team in the 60m and 200m sprints on his seventh outing at the iconic venue, spoke with students about life as an athlete in the lead-up to Saturday’s sell-out Aviva International Match and the London Olympic Games.

Collins, who took bronze in the 100m and 4x100m at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, last summer, said he was looking to launch his 2012 campaign with a big performance this weekend.

The 35-year-old track stalwart claimed St Kitts and Nevis’s first and only Commonwealth Games medal when he took gold in the 100m in Manchester back in 2002, and today refused to rule out a return to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games in two years’ time.

Collins said: “I’m really looking forward to the competition this weekend, I always enjoy racing in Glasgow and this is such an important year for me that I want to make sure I start my season on a high and start the year with some real confidence behind me.

“I love racing in Glasgow, although it’s always very cold at this time of year. But Kelvin Hall is a great venue, the Aviva International Match is a great event and to come out here today and meet some of the local students has really inspired me ahead of this weekend.

“I train a group of young athletes at home in St Kitts so to travel to the other side of the world and get the chance to meet with Scottish students who also love athletics has been a really great experience for me.”

Head teacher of Sacred Heart RC Primary School, Elizabeth Gonzalez, said: "Our school motto is ‘born to achieve’ and our pupils certainly do that. It was fantastic to have such great athletes as Kim and Claire in the school to talk about their achievements. We wish them well for the weekend.”

The Aviva International Match will be at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow on 28 January. Tickets are now sold out; for further event information go to uka.org.uk/aviva-series. The Aviva International Match will be shown live on BBC 1 from 1:30pm.