Wouldn't it be nice...if I stopped writing about the Olympics!?

I know, I know, I've written quite a few Olympic related blog posts but I have to make one amendment for this post and instead talk about the Paralympics. Mainly because it is AMAZING.

I've never really watched the Paralympics before and feel that it's been perhaps left at the wayside in terms of media coverage in previous years but these games are truly awe inspiring. The home of the Paralympics really has done the event proud. It is wonderful to see stadiums as packed with fanatic GB supporters as during the Olympics, cheering on our team as though there has been no break between the two events.

I have been a little disappointed with the Channel 4 coverage really only because of advert breaks! I know that that is what the channel does and they are clearly working around matches and races to slot in the ads in appropriate places but it was a shame the Opening Ceremony (yet another wonderfully bonkers display of true British-ness...apples everywhere...) was disrupted by them. However they have redeemed themselves, in my eyes anyway, with their website where there are great pages such as: http://paralympics.channel4.com/video/gb-medal-winners/index.html where every GB medal win is shown in full, although, yet again, you have to sit through more adverts to be able to watch the videos! If you missed them or haven't seen them yet I would definitely recommend the videos of Ellie Simmonds smashing the world record in her 400m freestyle event (yes I cried at the end) and, of course, Richard Whitehead's incredible T42 200m win. All the videos are fantastic though, another favourite which I watched live was Hannah Cockroft's gold, the list of amazing moments you need to see really could go on and on and on!

(Richard Whitehead's incredible victory. Image from The Telegraph website)

What I find really interesting with the games is that there are so many different classifications within every sport meaning there is so much to watch and be amazed by. I'm sure there are many pages like this all over the internet but my family and I have been referring to the BBC's 'A-Z of Paralympic Classification' which is very clear and informative on all the different classifications. All I can really say is that I think every single Paralympian is a truly inspiring and quite epic individual. The original Channel 4 tagline of 'Meet the Superhumans' couldn't have been more accurate!

London 2012 and Team GB have really lived up to the much used Twitter hash-tag #OurGreatestTeam with Olympians and Paralympians doing the country truly proud. I really have never felt more patriotic than I have during this year.

Bye for now :) 

xxxxx

Wouldn't it be nice...if the euphoric wave of London 2012 continued on.

I know I've already written about the Olympics but I'm going to do it again because I truly loved it. I have never been sporty, I was always into dancing but dreaded facing weekly P.E. lessons at school, and I have never before been really that interested in watching the Olympics regardless of what nation was hosting it. I can honestly put my hands up and say that before London 2012 began I was very uninterested in the entire thing. Then it began. And I was hooked.

(Image from http://www.london2012.com/)

For the entire event nothing else was watched in my household. I became actively interested all sports, from the obscure (who knew canoe events would be so exciting!?) to the traditional favourites. I truly do wish that the Olympics had come to London during my childhood because I think I would have got more involved and interested in partaking in sports. I hope that it has had that effect on children across the nation; I really do hope that 'Inspire a Generation' becomes so much more than a tagline for these games. That it instead becomes a reality.

The most important thing that I believe can be taken from these games though is they were a complete success. Many outside and inside the nation had little or no hope for London 2012 but instead we surpassed all expectations and everyone was swept into a euphoric state. Team GB stormed the medals table with our most successful Olympics for 104 years, the volunteers received the biggest cheers of all from crowds and athletes alike, and the public rose to the occasion. We all came out and supported our team. My entire family and I, like many others, were unlucky and didn't manage to get tickets to anything in the original ballots or during the re-sale, but it didn't dampen our support. We simply cheered from our home, adding our voices to the many thousands screaming on our greatest ever team.

Whilst many have already returned to the classic British cynicism I hope that we all can continue to ride this wave. The Paralympics are yet to begin and will hopefully prove to be as exciting as the games and I really do hope they inspire as much support. I love the current adverts for the Paralympic Games that feature the title 'Thanks for the warm-up' following the original adverts introducing the athletes as 'Meet the Superhumans'. Here is another fantastic Team GB to continue supporting in the games.

Of the games all I have left to say is that I truly will miss watching them and that I believe they did more than inspire a generation, they inspired a nation.

Bye for now :)

xxxxx