To feel in awe of, inferior to and jealous of the Olympic athletes?

[toptramp]

Thaye are amazing. We have all been given a body but I feel so inept physically. I was shit at sport at school and it is something I regret because I went to a sport school but I just felt so intimidated by the super sporty types that I gave up.
And it's not about giving up is it? It's about trying yopur best but somehow I just shrank into myself on sports days etc.
I am stronger now physically than I have ever been due to the shred by Jillian Michaels but I am no athlete.
I really want my dd to love sport so I have introduced her to gymnastics, ballet and swimming already but while I would never force her to do sport I will strongly encourage it. It brings so much to people's lives. The athletes just seem so happy and briming with life and confidence. Real super stars.

This thread is a stealth thread about my scars about being shite at sport aswell as worshipping those who can!

Yes, I hear you!

They are amazing people, the strength, endurance, discipline and motivation it must take to get anywhere near to Olympic level is unbelievable. Our bodies can be amazing things if we look after them properly. And sports don't just benefit our bodies, they benefit our minds too in so many ways.

When DD is old enough I'll fully encourage her to take up a sport, or more than one if she wants to.

But they give up a lot too. Boobs for one thing. If you ever read Lance Armstrong's autobiog it is clear that for some athletes they have to be selfish to get where they are.

WHich is fine, but not how I would want to live

PS I am shit at sport too. Series of DISASTROUS embarassing sports days didn;t encourage me to try my best either. And will be encouraging my DS if he enjoys it

I don't feel envious at all

I watched my patents strive to become the best at what they did. They got there and it paid off....they got the British championship and then went on to teach.... But the trade off was the loss of family life.

The expense
The coaching
The travel
The juggling

.*parents

I keep imagining myself in the events for a laugh.

Forward rolling my way through gymnastics, doing the old lady breast stroke so I don't get my hair wet in swimming and cannonball-ing off the high board in the diving.

It eases my guilt in being fat and shit. I think they should enter a normal person in every event to emphasize just how awesome these ladies and gentlemen are!

Iv just booked myself archery lessons because I'm shite at everything and fat to boot, so why not do something vaguely dirty but deadly too :) the Olympics have inspired me!'

They are amazing people. The amount of training and sacrifice that goes into being the top of your sport is fasinating.

However - they do have fun and have a life as well despite what people are led to believe think! They may not drink down the pub but they'll go! In fact I find the balance they find in life the most fascinating!

Usually this socialising is done during a time there's no meets - they're not off down the pub between olympic races.

Dirty=sporty bad auto correct!

Well, if the rain continues up here I could take up rowing in preparation for the Rio Olympics

Bloody river running down our road for a fair proportion of this week!

GeraldineAubergine - what if there was something dirty AND deadly? Sounds fun!

And yes I think they're pretty amazing too YAW - but it must be apretty all-consuming career.

My favourite was the guy who trained for that event where you do several disciplines including shooting but because of family pressure and lack of funding he practised in a mirror.....v British

MrsKeith - I like the idea of old lady style entrants for a laugh.

I could do old lady hurdling - by climbing over the hurdles then doing a "girly" run in between.

The athletes are amazing, but I honestly believe that everyone is amazing at something. There just isn't an international competition about all the other things every four years.

I get how you feel, and for the first time ever people I see on telly have made me feel very old! I'm impressed with how young some of them are.

Many athletes are boring, have few interests, are self centred and self obsessed - they have to be to withstand the mental and physical toll taken by years of training.

Not great qualities for a happy life or great success in life after sport though for many.

Boobs are overrated Rawshark. I hero worship admire and envy the athletes. I can't help feeling I would have been good at sport if I'd be encouraged in my youth...am a decent runner now at age 44 (too late, much too late). Both my dc are encouraged to be sporty (without being pushed) and both enjoy it....

Bollocks MoreBeta - utter bollocks

I don't wish I were fabulous at sport. Because the problem with sport is that you will only ever be fabulous fir a very short time. Every sportsperson must be aware of the clock ticking, especially from the age of 30 if they are still world class by then. I can't imagine that after a world class career the idea of performing at a lower level for leisure is appealing. Some will go on to coach or do presenting or motivational speaking, but not all sportspeople will have the talent or desire to do that. Whereas usually if you have huge success in a different sphere it can continue for much longer.

hmc - too late tfor serious success maybe. But you have found something you enjoy and can do anytime, and with the kids too.

I keep misreading you as hmrc

morebeta I'm not sure that's true. The olympian I 'know' has completed a degree - got a sports funded place - and has a career waiting for her when she finishes her sport.

Life can be lonely and hard if your not an olympian!

Yanbu. It's great for children and adults to be inspired by amazing athletes. This country should do more to foster and encourage sport for children. It doesn't mean they have to do sport to the exclusion of everything else, just gain confidence and physical benefits.

olympia2012 are you my child? DH is a pro sportsman and now mainly coaches. Our DCs would say that their childhood was spent being dragged round events. Neither of them has any interest in our sport and were barely interested even when we were winning.

Sounds like my childhood Carabos

All I wanted was a sunday roast! But no, every single Sunday was spent in some civic hall in some far away town in pursuit of good marks and a trophy. My brother was far more ingenious than me, he made himself a bit of money photographing .other competitors and selling the pics.

As I got older I could stay home alone.... Not nice. Too much freedom

I'm signing up, feel totally useless watching them do what they do.

My problem growing up was wallflower syndrome, luckily I have avoided passing it on to DDs see, I too can achieve something

A lot of the athletes seem to very attractive too. I'm still a competitive track runner, not as fast as I was once, and made some regional finals/medals in the past. Mumsnetters may not like to hear this, but in athletics theres a heirachy, which is very dependent on your current or very recent form. Those at the top of the pile are indeed considered elite. Its only semi serious of course, its sport. But you are literally judged on how good your body is at what it does.

But you get used to it. Thats why I am always a bit bemused by the posts on mumsnet accusing cyclists of being evil, etc.. Because in the sporting heirachy, anyone who gets off their backside and cycles is always superior to someone who isn't physically in good shape. Ditto any post criticising how someone looks in lycra. They probably do still look better than you, unless you are physically blessed.

I only get these thoughts about people who criticise those doing sport. MoreBeta you kind of prove the opposite of your own point.

The other thing is that you get used to people being a size which moves well. I often get a bit shocked going round the supermarket but no doubt bigger people consider themselves a normal size and would think me too small/muscular.

And Morebeta has obviously never met the French horizontal jumps squad...