- Ruth Grundy
- Jul 28, 2021
- 2 min read
We’re five days into the Olympic Games!
I'm waking up with my gymnast childhood friend, my Pa, runner aunty, ex sports and new sports colleagues and Sir Mo Farah all on my mind.
This morning has consisted of messaging a Japanese PR agency, a Brazilian journalist covering his first Games from home in São Paulo and the incredible photographer Clive Mason itching to break out of isolation in his Enoshima hotel room to capture mesmerising sailing moments.
This is the Olympic and Paralympic Games!
Switches you on like the perfect espresso.
Makes you reminisce (1984, 11 years old, glued to Los Angeles and twelve years later to the first Paralympics in Atlanta).
Focuses your mind on what is so important about sport.
My days with friends and family around the world now consist of WhatsApping about segments of the Games we’ve seen online and discussing skateboarding and surfing - most of which we’ve seen on Red Bull until now.
Soon I’ll be doing the same with my Pa on sport climbing - a form of the sport we enjoyed together for decades on Cumbria "crags" and miles of gneiss in Chamonix with no equipment, in a Dad-made rope harness, with shredded fingertips and definitely no mobile phone... Now, professional adventure rock climber Alex Honnold is breaking down this début sport for Olympic viewers.
And while many stars will not be at these Games - Sir Mo Farah, Patron of Save The Children’s Global Malnutrition Initiative included - they are highlighting global issues facing the most fragile and conflicted countries in the world.
So the Olympic and Paralympic hashtags #StrongerTogether and #ChangeStartsWithSport are making total sense.
What are you watching, where are you watching, who you are sharing your experiences with, and what are these Games motivating you to do are also of vital significance.
The Games very purposefully push important themes in society to the forefront and remind you of what you stand for.
Every millisecond and every waking moment of these Games is being used to capture our imaginations and make us act in the most positive ways possible.
It is definitely a privilege to be part of this work, to be working in sport and for Tokyo!
今日頑張ってね - kyou gannbatte ne - Good Luck Today!
