Most people will remember sitting down in school, being told to write an essay about what they want to do when they grow up.

Far fewer will remember what they wrote, and very rarely will someone be able to say they actually achieved it.

But Tour De France winner and Olympic champion Bradley Wiggins did exactly that, his favourite school teacher has revealed.

Graham Hatch, who taught Wiggins at St Augustine’s CE High School says he once submitted an essay describing his dream of victory in Paris.

“I spoke to the lady who taught him English recently, and she told me she remembers marking that work,” he said.

“Most children will write similar things, usually about becoming premier league footballers, and she poo-pooed the idea, as you would, but it came back to her over the summer.”

Wiggins listed his old PE teacher as a personal inspiration from the days when he was a pupil at the Maida Vale school.

Mr Hatch said: “It was just because I listened to him, took an interest in his cycling and asked how he was getting on. It seems small, but it can be really important to a kid.

“Bradley was a quite a lively young man. He was a class joker and I’m sure he drove some teachers mad at times. He was much more into sport than the academic stuff.”

The school has maintained links with Wiggins, with his brother working alongside Mr Hatch as a learning support assistant.

Their Olympic success may not stop with him, with current Year 13 student Dean Omen a hot tip to star in the triple jump in Rio 2016.

The school followed their old pupil’s lead this summer, smashing their personal best GCSE results with 67 per cent of students achieving five A*-C grades including English and Maths.

Headteacher Eugene Moriarty hopes the ex-pupil’s success will inspire children currently studying at his school.

He said: “I think its great for a kid who comes through our school, who isn’t necessarily that academic, to know that someone like them went on to do what Bradley did.

“It lets them know that if you find an interest, work incredibly hard and persevere, you can succeed.

“I remember Bradley saying kids from Kilburn don’t go on to be favourites for the Tour de France. He’s proved himself wrong on that one.”