After a period of uncertainty, one of the world’s biggest sporting events eventually received the green light and kicked off in Tokyo on July 23, which, I am sure, was a great relief for many athletes who were looking forward to this event for the past four years.
It is a well known fact that I am a sport junkie which means it was no surprise that I was gripped by the Olympic Games fever. The prospect of being able to share in the high and lows of the swimmers, my sevens rugby heroes, the men and women on the hockey field, as well as the track and field athletes, filled me with much excitement.
So far, my Olympic Games experience has not been too bad (except for a bit of heartbreak on the sevens front), but, the highlight for me (so far) has to be Tatjana Schoenmaker, who, on her way to winning a silver and gold medal, broke two Olympic records, as well as setting up a new world record in the 200m breaststroke event – the first woman in 25 years to manage that! What makes this achievement sweeter, is the fact that she grew up right here in Roodepoort.
I am very invested when it comes to watching sport, so much so that I sometimes feel as if I am part of the team and the achievements. So, it should not be a surprise that, amid all this excitement, sporting events and medals, I asked myself, “If you had to participate in an Olympic event, without any training, what event would you choose?”
My first thought (naturally!) was that I could very easily become an Olympic champion in coffee-drinking, if coffee-drinking ever became a recognised sport. Then I thought I might be able to participate in the pool, until the reality of just how far 50 metres in a pool can be, dawned on me. Athletics crossed my mind briefly, but was dismissed immediately; I was never built for speed and I am afraid of heights, so pole vaulting would also not be an option.
It quickly dawned on me that I might just qualify to be a caddy on the golfing greens or maybe the water boy next to the rugby field, and that is when I decided that, to prevent any unnecessary injury, I would rather resign myself to pouring my hear and soul into supporting these magnificent athletes from the safety of my couch, joining in their celebrations and disappointments.
Until next week, stay safe and look out for each other …
