Inspire a generation! Part 1

So that's the first week of the London Olympics over and what a week it's been! Many thoughts rushing through my head which is why I'm here, seeing if I can capture them and see where they lead to. The first thing I have to say is how incredibly warm and friendly everyone seems to have become over the past week - there is a real buzz in the city that you can embrace or ignore (it's up to you). It's as if we've been sprinkled with gold dust and rediscovered how much fun it is to grin as we get behind our nation's sporting heroes - and the sporting heroes from the 203 other nations taking part in the Olympics! I was at the Women's Marathon yesterday and while Team GB had two runners, we didn't think it'd be a repeat performance of Saturday night. But the route was crammed with cheerers and flag wavers and every runner got the same rapturous applause, with some of the loudest cheers saved for the runner at the end of the race. The Team GB girls did get a thunderous reception, everyone around me whooping and hollering and shouting at the tops of their voices. It was a sight to behold! 


I have loved how you take up your spot at the side of a race and then get chatting to the people around you - the people of London happily chatting to random strangers, this really is remarkable! Or maybe it's that I like talking to random strangers (weren't we warned against this when we were kids?) and suddenly with the Olympics upon us, it's okay to strike up conversation with anyone and people will engage. I got chatting to a couple of ladies who were sheltering from the rain behind me. They had their cameras with them and I had a great spot and no camera so I offered to make room for them so they could get some good shots. We discovered a mutual love of running and races and shared our experiences, the conversation then moved along to taking things you love and turning them into your work - and we're going to stay in touch via Facebook!


It's not just me who's doing this though - the Olympics seem to be giving people the chance to strike up conversations and communicate with the people around them, people they might never speak to otherwise. I ended up watching the Men's 100m Final in some dodgy looking pub in the Elephant and Castle, the sort of place that hasn't been spruced up and gentrified and is the meeting place for generations of locals. This wasn't planned - I'd driven to the Elephant that morning and left the car there as I headed in to watch the Marathon. As I headed back south after the race and an afternoon with friends experiencing sound and energy healing, I forgot I had the car and took the Hipster Express back to Forest Hill - and just before I got off the train, realised that the car was still at the Elephant. Detour back there and all the while trying to work out if I'd have enough time to drive back to East Dulwich before Mr Bolt hit our screens. Time was getting tight and I decided to stay put at the Elephant which is how I ended up in the dodgy looking pub. I sat at the bar, looking up at the screen and heard this gruff voice behind me say "Is this the 100m final love?" and turned to find one of the locals also staring up at the screen. We got chatting about the Olympics and the incredible run of gold medals the night before and he kept telling me how fantastic these games were - we both felt very proud to be Londoners!


Last Wednesday I took my 14-year old nephew Adil to see the cycling time trail road race as it came through Hampton. We'd been to the Olympic Park on the Tuesday to see the swimming and as we wandered round the park and made our way to the Aquatic Centre, he said to me "this is awesome, thank you for bringing me" - I knew we had to experience as much of the Olympics as possible (hence the time trial the next day) - even though it meant him having to get up early again! We got to Hampton early and followed the crowds to find a good spot where you would be able to see both the Women's and Men's races. Once in place, we discovered that the ladies to the right of us were streaming the rowing on their phone and so we got to see Team GB win their first gold amongst a crowd of people. As we all jumped and shouted in celebration, the people opposite us realised what had just happened and you could see the ripple of celebration pass through the crowds! We chatted to the cycling fan from Cambridge who had followed Bradley Wiggin's career for quite a few years and the girl over from Canada supporting both Team GB and Team Canada. The incredibly organised mother and daughter team shared the list of riders with us so we knew who was coming next (my level of organising consisted of knowing where the race was and what time it started so we relied heavily on the information carried by those around us). Once the race started, Adil found himself giving photo taking advice to the lady next to him - she ended up getting some great shots following his tips. And while we all clapped and cheered every rider in the Women's and Men's race, for most people there, it was all about Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins. As Chris Froome came through Kingston, you could hear a crescendo of cheering well before you could see the motorcycle outrider just in front of him. He was past us in a flash but the crowds were going crazy! 


We only had to wait a few minutes more before man of the moment Wiggo came blazing through. The roar of noise that greeted him was deafening but I hope that just helps the performance, not hinders! Cheering, clapping, whooping and hollering - I think Adil may even have cheered a bit. The day before in the Aquatic Centre he expressed his excitement by lightly stamping his feet, none of the screaming and shouting and over-excitement of his aunt next to him! The atmosphere was exhilarating but once the final rider was past, it was time to head back to Waterloo with the herd of people all going  in that same direction. We'd been stood a few kilometres away from the end of the race so as we weaved our way back through the crowds towards the station, the race finished a little distance away. We knew we'd won gold by the cheer erupting  from the house we walked past - it was a special moment! As we got into London and I rushed over east for rehearsals for the Paralympic Opening Ceremony, the tube driver announced that we'd won two gold medals that day - and I felt flushed with excitement that I'd seen one practically happening. 


Saturday night and it was all about the athletics. I knew we were in with a chance for another two gold medals so to come away with three in the space of an hour was amazing! Jessica Ennis we salute you - what an incredible role model you are for young girls all around you, such an inspiration! I know the BBC are supposed to be impartial but when the BBC presenter said "Jessica Ennis we love you" I think he was captured the sentiment of the nation. And then it was all about Mo Farah in the 10,000 metres. But hang on, what's this happening? The Men's Long Jump final and a certain Greg Rutherford with his super unique starting style (loving the finger movements and the step back before he commences the sprint) looking like he's going to take another gold for Team GB. And he did it! Now, could it be a hat-trick for us? We watched that 10,000m race with bated breath, wondering if Mo Farah could out-run the African long distance runners. In the first few laps I wasn't sure, willing him to do it (along with millions of others) but wondering if he would. And then the bell to announce the final lap and what a tense time it was! We were all standing up, screaming at the TV "come on Mo, you can do it, keep going" and the giddying rise in excitement as he broke free to lead the race, closely followed by his friend and American training partner Galen Rupp. GB and USA take gold and silver and show the world that it is possible to break the dominance of the Africans in long distance running - what a moment, what a night! 


Straight after it was brilliant to see people take to social media to express what they'd just seen, history in the making! I think the world of social media where people have a running commentary on what they're watching on TV is a little strange but straight after the races, I was on Facebook. The comments and status updates were a delight, capturing the joy of so many I know. I loved the fact that some of the Olympic miserablists had been converted by the sheer excitement of what they'd seen, who would have wanted to miss out on such a moment? I would have loved to have been at the stadium but I think I may have spontaneously combusted with all the excitement so probably good to watch it at home. Others were inspired to take up some form of sport and it'll be fascinating to see what these Olympics do for the psyche of the nation. While our athletes were bringing us such immense joy, pride and excitement in the Olympic Park, over in Cardiff our overpaid arrogant footballers lost to South Korea on penalties. Oh dear oh dear, there is something topsy turvy in the world of sport....