Bexleyheath weightlifter Jack Oliver is a strong presence in the classroom as well as the gym as he prepares for Commonwealth Games in Birmingham

By day Jack Oliver teaches Ancient Greek and by night he lifts 175kg weights in the school gym.

His kids would never admit it, but that is one cool Classics teacher.

The 31-year-old from Bexleyheath teaches in Yorkshire these days but can tell tales of gory injuries that would make Hercules wince and London 2012, where he broke British records in front of baying Games crowds.

For Oliver, amo, amas, amat is as thrilling as gold, silver and bronze.

“Classics is just as exciting as weightlifting,” he said. “I like working with kids - they are funny, they are interesting and there’s always someone saying something brilliant.

“All of the sportspeople I’ve met over the years, they’re all pretty mad. They’re a real bunch of characters and I think you have to be.

“We devote our life to something that involves a lot of hardship and pain. It has that parallel to the stories of ancient heroes we read all the time in the class.

“It’s a pretty clear link to me between sports and the Classics.”

Oliver has seen his class numbers swell in recent years. Inspired by Percy Jackson-style books and films, he believes the Classical languages are booming.

“When kids are taught Latin at school, they have preconceived notions from their parents that it’s hard and it’s all noun tables and verb tables,” said Oliver, who hopes sharing his story will give others motivation to get involved in sport and turn their dreams into reality.

“There is that, but it’s not taught in the same way as it used to be, sitting in silence and just learning tables, there are a lot more stories to it these days.

“We’re getting a lot of kids wanting to learn it. It’s growing, which every Classicist is happy to see.”

This summer, Team England, supported by National