Ruth Livingstone

Creative Writer

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Sports are for life, not just the Olympics

The year long countdown to the 2012 London Olympics has begun. Preparations are well under way, excitement will mount, the event will happen and – in a year and a few weeks time – it will all be over. Or will it?

‘Legacy’ is a word you hear associated with the London 2012 Olympics. Yes, when London won the bid, we promised to leave a ‘legacy’. Specifically, we promised to use the excitement and momentum of the Olympics to increase participation in sport across the UK.

How important is sport in most people’s lives? (And I mean ‘doing’ sport, not just watching it on TV.)

A cynical part of me is tempted to reply, ‘not very important to most people’. But am I right?

I begin to think about the people I know well – friends and family – and consider their sporting habits. With some surprise, I realise that nearly everybody I know is involved in some type of sporting activity.

We may admire Olympic champions for their skills, agility and physical prowess. Yet very few of us would consider committing ourselves to the training regime, discipline and sacrifices needed to become an Olympian. And for every Olympic medallist, there are hundreds of hopefuls who have trained and competed – but failed. And for every hopeful who has failed, there are thousands of others who simply compete for fun, for health, for the social life, for personal challenges, or for a myriad of other reasons.

Yes. This country is full of people who ‘do’ sport; the eager, the willing, the ambitious, the cynical, the dedicated, the wavering, the obsessed, the occasional, the good, the bad, the winners, the losers, the young, the old and the middle-aged.

Most of us take part in sport, knowing that we are unlikely to achieve anything much in the way of recognition or success. What motivates you to pursue your chosen sport? What makes you tick? What are the ups? And what are the downs?

Over the next few months, I will be seeking out the stories of ordinary people and finding out about their sporting lives.

(First on the list is my nephew. Apparently, he does something that involves throwing a plastic saucer through the air while running up and down a field. Did you know such a sport existed? Do you know what it is? Watch this space.)