Almighty pride for Team GB in the Olympics in Tokyo
Wow… who enjoyed the Olympics? I have been blown away with dedication and efforts of Team GB in Tokyo!
As a child, I was never interested in running fast, jumping high/long or even throwing peculiar shaped objects down the sports field, despite the best efforts of my PE teacher to inspire me.
However, I was lucky enough to be seated in the (soon to be) Manchester City FC ground – which hosted the opening ceremony of the Commonweath Games in Manchester in 2002.
And because it was in Manchester (and Mancunians are forward thinking) it was going to be turned into a football ground after the Commonwealth Games and the side on which I was sat didn’t have a roof, like the other three sides. And because it was in Manchester, it sheeted it down with rain all night. The free poncho’s given out at the event (hard luck guys, you are sat in the bit without a roof, but here’s your free poncho) did however make an incredible spectacular on the TV when I watched it back, when I was finally dry at home. I think they played an image over a collective of thousands of poncho’s – like the green screen in a TV studio! It was amazing and I think the organisers must have also been forward thinking Mancunians, as they knew it would rain.
Since 2002, I have loved watching events like this. So you can imagine my disappoinment when Tokyo was announced as being delayed due to COVID.
And because of my failure to be sporty at school, I have been keen to engage my kids in as much sport as possible, if not only to give them a healthy lifestyle.
A couple of years ago and to continue my quest to get my daugthers into sport, I introduced them to Sam Gordon who in 2020 ran the fastest time in Wales to 100 meters at 10.08 seconds!
Sam was hopeful for the Tokyo Olympics Team GB but he was denied funding to train full time.
When we met him in Cardiff, he was seeking sponsors, as holding a full time job and training to win Gold at Tokyo conflicted. I know there is alot of talk around at the moment about how much lottery funding goes into sports to help people like Sam, but in his case, he had no input apart from using some incredible facilities in Cardiff.
My girls absolutely loved their trip. As soon as they finished school on a Friday afternoon, we headed down the M6 and across the M5 to Cardiff. They loved staying in the hotel, meeting Sam and taking part in some Olympic training for the weekend. We even got to see my best friend who lives in South Wales too!
And I’d like to think that events like this inspire kids. Consider this, in the sports day at my daughters school this year, my eldest won one race and came second twice (with one last place, in quite frankly a non-Olympic event with a bean bag). My youngest daughter, just three when she met Sam Gordon, came first three times and second in her last race (with the bean bag). They both have incredible competitive spirit. Thanks Sam for inspiring them.
If my girls ever do train hard and get to a point of Olympic chances like our incredible Team GB, I do hope there is funding for them to support these dreams, if they have the talent and match it with the effort.
So keep buying your lottery tickets folks!
The Olympics has got me thinking, in life we need to be the best version of ourselves and be the best we can. We all have situations to deal with in our lives and we should try to handle them in the best way we can. In my case, I try to be positive and offer help to others. With my kids, I try to encourage them to try as hard as they can and be kind to all that they meet, seeing the good in all. In my work life, I try to offer the best solutions I can to clients and help colleagues to improve. And particularly in the times we have just gone through, being kind to others and remembering good achievements that we have made will get us through. No matter how small the achievement or how small the win!
If you are ever having a bad day, just remember this
Thanks for reading
Dave
Don’t forget the paralympics are on Tue, 24 Aug 2021 – Sun, 5 Sept 2021