Last night we sat and watched the Olympic closing ceremony. It was sad to see the flame finally extinguished, the fire that has travelled round the British Isles lighting up a nation.
The Olympics have been sensational, surpassing everyone’s expectations and now the talk is all about the legacy of the games and how we can inspire a generation.My personal thoughts?
Well I will of course remember the marvellous spectacle of it all, the medals and the triumphs. We went to watch two of the early football matches and the atmosphere was fantastic. The memories of these past few weeks will live long.
However the real inspiration for me is the dedication of the athletes. So many medallists talked of their hard work to just get to this moment in time.
Mo Farrah attributed his gold medal success to lots of “hard work and graft.”
Samantha Murray who won our last medal of the games in the modern pentathlon said this after the event,
"Honestly, if you have a goal - if there's anything you want to achieve in life - don't let anybody get in your way. You can do it. If I can do it, and I'm a normal girl, anyone can do what they want to do."
I love her humility. Her sport is one of the multi-discipline events so it surely takes several skills to persevere and succeed. She was overwhelmed at her silver.
Meanwhile Tom Daley achieved a bronze but was no less delighted. Anyone who watched the diving on Saturday night will have been amazed at such a superb display. To see Tom and his team splashing about in the pool afterwards was the icing on the cake. He too has worked hard, having to deal with the emotions of losing his dad on top of his usual training schedule.
In the end the colour of the medal is irrelevant, each one is precious and a testament to the dedication of each athlete.
Many competitors will have gone home empty handed but they are no less successful. Several will have achieved their own personal bests in their chosen sports.
Women from some countries were competing in the Olympics for the very first time and they will not forget the privilege.
Each athlete is a star in their own right just for their hard work. They deserved to party last night in celebration.
It is this attitude of dedication that I want to live on. I know from personal experience that I can be lazy. I procrastinate and make excuses for not writing, for not reaching for my own dreams. Sometimes it all seems too hard and impossibly unattainable.
Hopefully London 2012 will inspire us all to stretch a little further and work a bit harder to grasp our own ambitions whatever they may be.
Meanwhile Tom Daley achieved a bronze but was no less delighted. Anyone who watched the diving on Saturday night will have been amazed at such a superb display. To see Tom and his team splashing about in the pool afterwards was the icing on the cake. He too has worked hard, having to deal with the emotions of losing his dad on top of his usual training schedule.
In the end the colour of the medal is irrelevant, each one is precious and a testament to the dedication of each athlete.
Many competitors will have gone home empty handed but they are no less successful. Several will have achieved their own personal bests in their chosen sports.
Women from some countries were competing in the Olympics for the very first time and they will not forget the privilege.
Each athlete is a star in their own right just for their hard work. They deserved to party last night in celebration.
It is this attitude of dedication that I want to live on. I know from personal experience that I can be lazy. I procrastinate and make excuses for not writing, for not reaching for my own dreams. Sometimes it all seems too hard and impossibly unattainable.
Hopefully London 2012 will inspire us all to stretch a little further and work a bit harder to grasp our own ambitions whatever they may be.
