Sport for all
Friday 21 July 2006
It's been a year since it was announced that London had won the right to host the 2012 Olympics, but has it made more of us want to get out there and get a bit of sporting action?
We talk to four n2k readers about their sporting lives.
Sporting hero
"I can't get enough of sport," says James, 16. "Ever since they announced the Olympics it just made me even more into sport.
I watch it all the time and like to play football and rugby; I go swimming and I also play golf with my dad sometimes."
Does James see himself as a contender in the Games? "No! I'm not good enough but I'll be there cheering like everyone else!"
From the touchline
"I just can't stand sport," Raisa, 14, tells us. "I think I might emigrate when the Olympics come.
I've just never been any good at it and I think it's really boring. I've been to a couple of football games with my brothers but I still hate it."
What would it take to get Raisa on the pitch? "I'd need to be paid a million and even then I'd have to think about it."
Fitness first
Vanessa, 17, reckons we should all be more into sporting activities. "It's really important to keep fit these days. You read so much about young people being overweight and I think it's sad."
Vanessa believes it's easy to get involved. "I like running and have been taking part in competitions for years. It's perfect for people who don't like contact sport or can't afford to buy expensive kits; all you need is a T-shirt, shorts and trainers!"
Confidence trick
Paul, 15, found that his confidence was letting him down when it came to getting stuck into sports. "I'm smaller than everybody else so would get picked last for football and rugby," he says. "I knew I had to find something else where I wouldn't be relying on teams."
It was then that Paul's attention turned to martial arts. "I started doing Tae Kwon Do about a year ago and find it's really helped me overcome my fears.
Because I'm doing it for me and not a team, I'm just relying on myself and my own strengths. It's all about discipline and pushing yourself to the limit."
