It is my firm belief that there is a sport out there for everyone. Whether that’s bowls, athletics, rugby, judo, tennis or boxing, everyone has the ability to be great at something. During my time as an athlete or mentor (providing advice to other athletes) I have been fortunate enough to work alongside some of the world’s best sports stars, as well as listen to their stories. I would say more than half the athletes I have met have ended up performing in a different sport from the one they started in. I was originally a footballer. Whether through injury, enjoyment or simply trying a new sport, all the athletes that I have known have been able to become the best that they could be.
I have never been amazing at anything but I have always had an ‘I’ll have a go’ attitude. To this day I hate long-distance running but that didn’t stop me from competing in cross-country meetings in primary school. I remember in secondary school our teacher didn’t want to go to an athletics meet because we didn’t have a full team, so I made up the numbers by doing many of the events rather than just one. I did the shot put, hurdles, long jump, 100 metres and relay. I was shockingly bad at some, but I did them anyway. I had great fun regardless of the results, which were very mixed.
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