Well, the Olympics are now over, the weather's gone back to being grey and drab, and the next best thing to look forward aside from the Paralympics, is the start of term! The only other difference is that your sofa is no longer the most comfy and entertaining place to be! I was fortunate enough to get tickets for an evening of athletics inside the Olympic stadium, it was truly a memorable day being able to walk around the park and cheer on the athletes, experiencing the friendliness and patriotism that covered Great Britain, if fleetingly. My red white and blue nail varnish now chipped irreparably, and my laptop providing the only solace back to the lonely British summer. I for one hope that the Paralympics will at least revive some lost feelings, and include myself in hoping that we will appreciate the amazing feats some of the handicapped athletes have overcome to be where they are today. This summer cannot only be about sport however. It has been brought to my attention that today is the dreaded day for thousands of teenagers around the country; A-level results. I remember my own well, my twin sister ran into my room at 5:30am as we waited impatiently for the all important words to appear on the screen. At the time it's the be all and end all, I was lucky and was accepted into my first choice University. For others, the agonising wait and decision making will continue for weeks. Re-takes, clearing, insurance choices - all these new words making an appearance, none incidentally I ever had any idea about, so I'm grateful I didn't have to deal with them! I have loved every second of being away from home, and am even finding myself quite enjoying learning at times, a far cry from my struggle through A-levels. Watching a BBCthree debate last night however, I do agree that for some people University or higher education is not the right choice, and each person should be respected for their opinion, we can't all be Einstein's after all! To continue with the Olympic motto's flitting around this summer I say; 'Try something new'. This could be, remembering to speak to your parents once a week, challenging yourself to an hour of Radio 4, or swapping that entirely unnecessary afternoon pint for a walk around your local area. Only you can set your goals, be it in University, sporting achievements, or simply getting out of bed in the morning. Do something...you only live once after all! Good Luck!
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It's now over half way through the London 2012 Olympics, the much anticipated event has inspired a patriotism never seen before in the UK, yet also an unfortunate laziness by sporting fanatics. Apart from walking to your living room, many people, myself included, are so taken by the TV screen that ironically we find it difficult to imagine moving. I guess the hope is that following the Olympic games we will all be motivated to increase our physical activity and as the phrase goes 'inspire a generation' or more.
I spent my last week as a helper at an annual dance summer school in Hertfordshire, here the children had up to five dance lessons a day culminating in an end of week show. Not only is this a brilliant opportunity for all the lucky children who's parents can afford it, it also encourages a longer commitment and desire for sport. The children are not striving to be Olympic athletes, perhaps dancers, yes, but mostly just to maintain a healthy lifestyle and continued friendships, both of which will hopefully continue into adulthood. The motivation for activity needs not to be taught to children, they are motivated or perhaps 'pressured' already through school, but especially by their peers. Instead it seems that adults are the generation with bad memories of school p.e. lessons, an unwillingness to even attempt physical activity and an inability to disrupt their daily routines. The English weather cannot be blamed, although discouraging, there have been enough damning reports already to prove that we need more exercise. So parents, get up off your sofa and follow your children outside, and if neither of you want to do it, at least 'lose' your games console controllers, that way the only games that work are ones standing up and moving around! As the Olympics continues and eventually draws to a close, I personally hope that, myself included, many more people will be inspired to adopt a new attitude to sport and exercise. Remember - it's never too late to change. |
About meI enjoy writing and have had experience from my degree and through working on news posts. I hope to use this blog as a summary of extraordinary things I've discovered or witnessed in everyday life. Archives
March 2020
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