For the past two weeks, I’ve been living amid Murray mania. The British have been talking about, writing about and screaming for Andy Murray in his attempt to become the first British man to win Wimbledon since 1936. And I have to say, the passion is infectious.
Watching Murray’s amazing come-from-behind, five-set quarter final win on Wednesday had me doing my own version of a Lleyton Hewitt ‘c’mon’, and also got me thinking about the power that sport holds in communities large and small. At it’s most basic level, sport is a unifier of people.
Playing and watching sport brings together families, workplaces, remote communities, suburbs, cities and countries in a way that not many other peacetime pursuits can. The two Olympic and Paralympic Games I have been lucky enough to attend have shown me the class barriers sport can break down and the horizons it broadens, in particular for children.
Andy Murray at Wimbledon 2013
I grew up in a family where sport was a big part of our every day life. My mum, a former gymnast and international judge, and my Dad, a dedicated cricketer, instilled in us a love of playing all kinds of sport, and taking joy from watching it.
Among my vivid childhood memories are looking for my mum on the TV when she was juding at the 1984 Los Angeles Oympics, and then four years later watching her scream at the TV – with broom in hand as she was half way through sweeping the family room floor – as Australian Debbie Flintoff-King won the 400m hurdles at the Seoul Games. By the time I was 10, I had found the perfect volume to listen to ABC Radio sport in bed where I could drift off to sleep, but still wake up every now and again to get the latest score in the Ashes, the cricket World Cup or the Olympics taking place on the other side of the world.
A childhood sport-watching memory: Debbie Flintoff-King wins the 400m hurdles at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
The determination, passion, belief and commitment that sports people at all levels can display, makes me evaluate how I approach tough situations in my own life. There’s something about the mental fitness of golfers, the precision of gymnasts and the physical endurance of Tour de France cyclists that makes life’s small problems seem easier to tackle. Of course, when the person or team I support wins, the insporation and euphoria can last for days.
So, in preparation for Andy Murray’s pursuit of the Wimbledon crown, here are three posts in which The Bulb has saluted sporting achievements or events. I would love to hear what you think of these, and which sporting moments, either personal or world-stage, have made you stand up and salute?
The Bulb salutes Cadel Evans, a humble champion
What joy as London take Olympic Gold
The Bulb salutes Europe’s Ryder Cup victors: believe to achieve
And if this weekend is anything like last weekend – when I had every TV and radio in the flat tuned to either Wimbledon, the Tour de France, the cricket, the Australia v Lions Rugby (and Glastonbury too) – then there will probably be more posts to write on this very topic.
* Image courtesy of bbc.co.uk and abc.net
(Written by Laura)