The final few words

In the past I have taken our strong pound for granted. Sadly as a result of Brexit my current trip to the United States will not be spent shopping, all of a sudden foreign goods are no longer the bargain they once were. We are all aware that our country is struggling to come to terms with the outcome of our vote to leave the EU, the initial stage of this transition has admittedly not begun in the smoothest manner. Those who voted remain and even those who hoped to leave, probably did not expect the confusion and uncertainty we are experiencing now. If you are one of those worrying about Britain’s future then just take a moment to compare our situation to that of the United States of America.

I am currently in Florida, one of the swing states in the US presidential election. At last the poles have started to show a shift away from Donald Trump but one of the worlds most powerful nations is still in danger of having this man (I can find no appropriate superlatives to describe such a human being) as their leader. I have tentatively asked a few Americans their view of the situation, you can imagine my shock when they compared it to the UK and Brexit - apparently Brexit is similar to building a wall between the USA and Mexico.

I do not have the time or space to share further opinions on Trump, as sadly this will be my final column for this publication. Last week I touched on the challenges of change; as human beings we naturally shy away from the unknown. It can be difficult to push oneself to conclude something that you so enjoy but it is also healthy to move on to new adventures when the time is right.

Across the Atlantic

In the past I have taken our strong pound for granted. Sadly as a result of Brexit my current trip to the United States will not be spent shopping, all of a sudden foreign goods are no longer the bargain they once were. We are all aware that our country is struggling to come to terms with the outcome of our vote to leave the EU, the initial stage of this transition has admittedly not begun in the smoothest manner. Those who voted remain and even those who hoped to leave, probably did not expect the confusion and uncertainty we are experiencing now. If you are one of those worrying about Britain’s future then just take a moment to compare our situation to that of the United States of America.

I am currently in Florida, one of the swing states in the US presidential election. At last the poles have started to show a shift away from Donald Trump but one of the worlds most powerful nations is still in danger of having this man (I can find no appropriate superlatives to describe such a human being) as their leader. I have tentatively asked a few Americans their view of the situation, you can imagine my shock when they compared it to the UK and Brexit - apparently Brexit is similar to building a wall between the USA and Mexico.

I do not have the time or space to share further opinions on Trump, as sadly this will be my final column for this publication. Last week I touched on the challenges of change; as human beings we naturally shy away from the unknown. It can be difficult to push oneself to conclude something that you so enjoy but it is also healthy to move on to new adventures when the time is right.

Time to celebrate

It is that time of year already, the season for celebrating, reflecting and planning for the future. Athletes have hung up their racing spikes, rowers have folded away their Lycra singlet’s and cyclists are wrapping up their carbon racing bikes; it is time to face the fact that our summer is truly over along with all of the associated sports.

As the leaves start to fall and the suntans from Brazil are fading our attention is slowly transferred from reflection to the future. After the conclusion of an Olympic Games it is natural to expect a significantly higher number of retirements, although some sports will revolve around the four year cycle more than others. For example athletics will have their World Championships in London next year as a key focus, where as a sport such as Modern Pentathlon really will be labelling Tokyo2020 as the next main event in their calender.

The announcement of Jessica Ennis-Hill’s retirement fits with the end of a cycle even if many might have hoped to see her compete in London next summer. It is never an easy decision to make, so many factors need to be considered. Ennis-Hill is fortunate to be in the position to make this choice as and when she felt appropriate, sadly this is not always true for professional sports people.

Give it a go

There have been two campaigns that caught my eye recently, although for extremely contrasting reasons. It was national Champagne week and simultaneously, on the other end of the spectrum, there was Women’s Sport Week. The latter being naturally far more significant for myself and hopefully further than just the female population. In the ideal world there would be no requirement for women’s sport promotion to be singled out, however this is a significant step to equality in this field. A campaign that encourages anyone, irrelevant of their age, ethnic background or postcode can only be seen as a positive step, please keep this going beyond one celebrated week.

I have personally benefitted from a combination of the post Olympic effect and the continued promotion of sport for women. Due to the extreme demand a rowing club in Bath offered numerous learn to row courses throughout the summer. I am far from the ideal student having taken three months to complete my five week introduction to this deceptively difficult sport. Apparently I have now graduated, although the fact that the course was concluded with a compulsory capsize drill does not leave me full of confidence.

In the ideal world it would make sense to take up a new sport close to the start of its season. This week the door of summer has suddenly slammed shut, I think there are going to be many chilly hours out on the water. I know I am a little soft after a couple of months in Brazil but I have had to give in, the heating has gone on, porridge is on the breakfast menu and long leggings are now essential for any outdoor pursuits.

Complacency versus confidence

Complacency can be dangerous, confidence often necessary, it is the balance somewhere in the middle that so many strive for. Certain sports require a significant amount of bravado and show, look to boxing or sprint athletics for ample examples. Can you imagine Usain Bolt with his headphones on, eyes to the floor, walking subdued to the start line of the 100metre final? The world record holder has earned the respect from his fellow competitors, he has built up that aura that now surrounds him. For the younger less experienced athletes part of their performance is convincing spectators (and sometimes themselves) of their confidence.

The fine line before crossing over into complacency is a tricky one to tread, over confidence can be dangerous in certain situations. This was proven during one Paralympic athletics final when the two top ranked athletes were overheard joking that the rest of the field would have to battle it out for bronze - they both finished off the podium.

The fine line between confidence and complacency stretches outside of the sporting arena. As I set off on a trek up through the mountainous rainforest on the outskirts of Rio De Janeiro this balance was critical. If a path in the UK is labelled as difficult that usually translates to uneven terrain and a few hill climbs, in Brazil a rating of five out of five actually deserves respect. I confidently set off into the jungle on a path that advised a guide but did not insist on it. After an hour of tough physical assent over tree routes, around granite boulders and through dense foliage I was still confident of making it to the top. That was until I reached the rock face for the final stage. Determined not to be beaten by this path with the assistance of a friend we made it to the summit, I have the obligatory photo to prove it along with several bruises and scratches.