OLYMPICS

I was rubbish at netball and hockey.  With tennis I always missed the ball and with hockey I tripped over the stick!  So when my daughter rang me with last minute tickets for the Olympics hockey, I raised an eyebrow and imagined a bunch of macho women running around a field.  But the sudden opportunity to go the Olympic Village so nearby in Stratford was too good an opportunity to miss, so last Saturday I put on an early alarm and bleary eyed off we went.

The atmosphere as we got off the train and walked to Westfield was truly amazing and reminded me of the spirit of “Disney”, which we went to years ago when the kids were younger.  The volunteers in their bright tops, spoke to the crowd heading towards the Arena and one girl even sung “How do you like your eggs in the morning....” – she should get an A for effort! – that brought a smile to our faces.  A volunteer offered to take our photo in front of the stadium as a momento and everyone was so helpful and friendly. 

The buzz, excitement, atmosphere had to be felt by being there.  It took 20 minutes to walk to the Riverside Arena where the hockey was, which enabled us to take on board how HUGE the Olympic village is.  It was astro-turfed in pink and blue and far from schoolgirls, the teams were hunky guys from India and South Africa.  The big screen and music, brought the cosmopolitan crowd together as we joined in the Mexican wave and clapped to Queen’s “We will rock you”.  After a break where we met a lovely girl from South Africa, over here promoting hockey for children, where they’d set up a mini pitch outside the stadium.  Apparently 27,000 children had “had a go”!  Then we watched the second match, Belgium versus Spain which was excellent entertainment.

What an amazing memory to share with my daughter!

My lesson.  Never pre-judge or assume anything.  When an opportunity is offered, say yes!  Accept it and enjoy.