By chance more than anything, I had recently started following The National Lottery on Twitter. I have been buying lottery tickets for years, not quite realising that, along with millions of others, we were helping the athletes we watch and cheer for on their path to greatness. Many of the athletes at the Olympics and Paralympics thanked the players of the Lottery for their contribution, however small and insignificant it may have been on their journey. As a 'thank you' some of these Lottery funded athletes agreed to take part in the National Lottery Anniversary Run, which was to be held in the newly named Queen Elizabeth Park. This was one event I was not going to miss out on!
The website to apply for tickets opened at 9 am. The website crashed not long after. However, there had been just enough time for my sisters and I to enter, and I was parading around the house as if I myself had just won Olympic gold. Soon after 10,000 people had their places in this momentous run, news of Chris Hoy starting the race was released, along with Paula Radcliffe and Victoria Pendleton who would be running it. I was now feeling like a double Olympic champion. The athletes I had watched, cheered for, cried at one year before, would not only have previously been where I was to soon be running, but they were actually going to be there with me.
The words Inspire and Legacy were at the forefront of the London 2012 Olympics. The aim, not only to show the world what matters to Britain but to increase participation and the country's interest in sport as a whole. This Anniversary Run was one of many events to be held in the wake of the games to bring the Olympic stadium and park to life again. The event itself was as amazing as I had hoped, crossing that finish line to then spot the first female Olympian Boxer Nicola Adams felt very surreal. Where hundreds of world class athletes had made themselves, there I was crossing the same line, with not quite as much style (or speed). Yet as it says on the back of my medal, 'I followed in the footsteps of legends' - something I will never forget. A part of London 2012 I can say I was involved in.
The real question one year on is: Did the Olympics inspire a generation? For me, the fact that previously unknown London 2012 athletes were now household names showed how powerful they had actually been. The fact that paralympians were being recognised for their ability, rather than their disability was one of the best things to come from the games. London 2012 showed the power of sport in bringing people together, showing the world how the dedication and talent of athletes can lead to greatness. Proud to be British? Within minutes of the final firework at the Opening Ceremony, those 4 words were trending on Twitter and continued to be said for the following 2 weeks. In the words of Lord Coe, these Olympics were "Made in Britain", something we should be proud of. Whatever public opinion may be, one year on we all have the memories of London 2012 and the pictures of the stars that made that summer.
No comments:
Post a Comment