Budget Cuts Strike Close to Home

The defense budget is being cut. Travel fares are on the rise. Students are mashing up central London because they’re tuition fees are set to soar. I’ve managed to remain neutral about the impact of this ‘coalition’ government – until I found out that the already paltry sports budget could be SLASHED.

 

The thought of the amount of undiscovered talent scattered around the country due to a lack of resources, outlets and foresight makes me sick. If sports is a sector that doesn’t need a budget – why bother to host the Olympics? For first row seats? Bragging rights? Puh-leeze.

 

The development of sports has been an uphill battle in this country and we are only now beginning to feel that some sort of ground is being broken with regards to the average child’s access to various organised sports.

 

Some of you might think ‘big deal, a bunch of kids won’t be able to kick a ball around anymore’ but it is a big deal - bigger than most people understand.

 

A well developed sports structure could be a major impact on this country’s challenges with obesity, anti social behaviour and general apathy. Participation in organised sports can play a key role in an individual’s overall development. The playing ground is where a child develops a healthy, competitive spirit, learns how to work well with others, raises their confidence, acquires leadership skills, learns how to be disciplined and also keeps the body and essentially the mind healthy.

I don’t have the answers to this conundrum, but feel very strongly against decisions that hinder the development of sports in the UK. Should the decision to cut the budget go ahead, the social landscape in 10 years time could be very interesting indeed.

Anyone Up for a Channel Swim?

When I heard the BBC coverage over the possible banning of channel swimming the other day I have to admit, I didn’t take much notice. As a land lover, I didn’t really get the appeal but as luck would have it I’d have the privilege of spending some time with channel swimmer Anna Wardley who would enlighten me as to why anyone would undertake such a mammoth task.

To include all the detail Anna shared with me would turn this blogpost into a blogdissertation so I’ll simply highlight some interesting points instead:

• A channel swim is about 21 miles in length and takes an average of 20 hours to complete
• Anna trained for 9 months to prepare for her swim
• Her preparation involved a combination of sea swims, pool sessions, weight training, runs, bike workouts and physiotherapy
• Channel swimmers must hire a pilot boat at the cost of £2000 (roughly)
• More than 500 vessels pass through the shipping lanes each day
• It is not uncommon to take a hit from a jelly fish (or two) whilst swimming

By the time Anna was finished describing her physical, mental and emotional journey I had a newfound respect for channel swimmers. I was however, still confused as to why she did it. In her own words:

‘I guess it appealed to me as a challenge as it is one of the great feats of human endurance where you are pitted against the elements and Mother Nature. There is also something great about swimming from one country to another across one of the most iconic stretches of water in the world (also one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes). It is seen as the Everest of marathon open water swimming, and the more I found out about it, the more I wanted to do it.’

Can't argue with that.

www.annawardley.com

www.twitter.com/annawardley