Inspire A Generation - Part 2

Part Two of my Olympics review. One thing I forgot to mention in the previous review was how I loved the Olympics finding it's way into my everyday routines. For the past two weeks my Saturday morning 5k run at Park Run in Brockwell Park has had an Olympic connection. The first week (morning after the Opening Ceremony), as I was stretching before the run, I spotted a woman dressed in the nurse's outfit from the Opening Ceremony. I walked over for a chat and to hear her experiences on taking part in the Ceremony - she was ecstatic, I don't think she'd been to bed but she'd turned up for the run in her costume and trainers and was invited to start at the front of the pack - a great photo opportunity! Last Saturday at Park Run as I stood stretching, waiting for the run to start, two guys came up to me and said "Is this a race?". I explained to them what Park Run was and how they could run, even though they hadn't registered. They were from Finland, over for the Olympics and we had a fun few minutes before the start of the run chatting about the Olympics. I asked them what they thought so far of London hosting and they were full of praises - great to hear! For the last couple of weeks, every time I've got on a bus or a train or a tube there's inevitably been one of the Olympic Games Makers on board too. The thousands of volunteers in their distinct purple and red uniforms have done an incredible job of welcoming people to the Games and I'm sure a large part of the success so far have been these happy, positive faces getting involved with the greatest show on earth!

Last weekend, there seemed to be a collective shift in consciousness. Millions had watched Team GB's outstanding performance on the Saturday and by the Sunday, people were taking to social media to demand Team GB athletes to be the role models for the nation (particularly the next generation), not the talentless twerps of reality TV and premier league football players. We've seen what true champions look like, we know that the medals have come as a result of their commitment, dedication, perseverance and sheer hard work - and these are the qualities needed for true success, regardless of your discipline. As a nation we've become obsessed with the minute details of the lives of Z-list celebs. You know something, this is not in the least bit inspiring or engaging, actually it's down-right depressing that people are so caught up in the lives of people where it seems to be one car crash after another. Who cares if Kerry Katona has a new man, or what Jordan is up to or if Chantelle and Alex are together or not? Why have we become so obsessed with how much cellulite someone has or what they look like with no make up on - as a nation we have become very dumbed down in the last decade or so and unfortunately reality TV has it's part to play. Talentless no-bodies can become famous but what exactly are they doing to inspire the next generation, how are they teaching kids what it takes to be a real success in the world? 

 As a nation we lap it all up, littering our language with phrases from TOWIE or Made In Chelsea or some other inane programme. The media are not to blame entirely, if we didn't have such an appetite for such drivel, it wouldn't be fed to us in such vast quantities. It'll be interesting to see the impact the Olympics has on the nation once it's all over. Will we go back to being who we were or will the incredible success of these games be the catalyst to immense changes to wash over the nation? I sincerely hope it's the latter. I love the Olympics motto "Inspire a Generation" because I know how important it is to inspire the next generation. Every one of us can do something to inspire the next generation and we should. I'm one of the lucky ones, I had some people speak some magic words to me when I was 18 - "You will achieve anything you set your mind to" (If you want to know the background to the story, you can find it elsewhere on this blog) and those words were the catalyst to so much. I've never forgotten how some people's belief in me shaped my life and there comes a point when you do what you can to pass that forwards. I don't know what that's going to look like for me but I know the desire to do something is burning strong so I will find a way...

These Olympics have done so much to portray a positive image of GB around the world. I wasn't sure what these Olympics would be like, never in a million years did I imagine that we'd pull it off so well. I'm going to be completely honest here, when we won the bid in 2005 I did think "oh god, that's going to be a joke, it's going to be horribly embarrassing and the whole world will be watching..." - and I'm one of life's more positive, optimistic people! You think about our joke politicians and our joke transport system and the usual mood of the country which is negative and whiney and lacking in belief. Yet the collective efforts of everyone involved in putting on these Olympics has created something so incredibly special, you feel so very proud to be British! Danny Boyle's Opening Ceremony was a masterpiece, brilliant, bonkers and so very British! He got it right by picking out all the things that make Britain great and creating his wonderful montage. 

The feedback from around the world is something to be proud of, here's what a few people have had to say about the Games:

"It's beautiful here. The weather's great; the people are awesome; the venues are great; everywhere I've been has been packed. I think it's some of the best Games" - Teresa Edwards, Team USA Head of Delegation

"We had a report back from the Association of Summer Olympic International Federation, and they can be pretty tough at times - where they said this was probably the best games they had ever been to" - Mark Adams, International Olympic Committee

The crowds packing out the stadiums are largely British but they'll happily cheer on all the nations - although the loudest cheers are naturally for Team GB! These Olympics have ignited the true British spirit and it's up for all of us to carry this on for years to come!