why am i learning to pole vault?

In 2012 when the Olympic games came to an end I needed something to keep me going, working on London 2012 had been the best experience of my life!!! As a dignitary assistant to african sports ministers, I had  access to all the venues, which meant that I watched a lot of sports (different disciplines) and half the time found myself lost and confused with no understanding of how the games were played and what the rules were

That's when the Olympic Challenge began. Try EVERY OLYMPIC SPORT 

I had to research where in my local area they were taking beginners' so that I could sign up to a course and learn to play. The first Sport I chose was handball.

During games time Hackney as a host borough was given free tickets to handball which was housed at the copperbox (known as the handball arena at games time)

I wasn't the only person 'inspired' by the olympics, over 100 people turned up to that handball session at bethnal green in august 2012 just after the closing ceremony.

Since then I have gone on to try 19 sports, all of which begin when a course I have enrolled on comes to an end.

I have kept records of

HOW MUCH THE COURSE COST

WHERE I TRIED THE SPORT (VENUE/LOCATION)

WHO I MET

HOW LONG THE COURSE TOOK

WHAT I LEARNT 

WHAT MUSCLES HURT AFTER

WHY THE SPORT EXISTS - HISTORY 

INTERESTING FACTS I LEARNT ABOUT THE SPORT OR THE ATHELETES

WHAT I LEARNT ABOUT ME AS A PERSON

PHOTO'S AND VIDEO'S

I have been meaning to capture all of this into a blog but I m so busy having fun, so tired from doing the sports & so happy living my little dream that I don’t get the time to record everything.

I have an instagram account from games time which is a gorgeous memory of my time as a dignitary assistant and so now I am going to try to upload photo’s and video’s of POLE VAULTING the 19^th sport I have tried, and slowly record everything into this blog!

I have to complete;

Cycling

Wrestling

Weightlifting

Equestrian

Triathalon

Taekwondo

Sailing

Hockey

Judo

Athletics (as many track and field as I can manage)

I have completed;

1. Handball (Bethnal Green)

2. Synchronised swimming (vauxhall)

3. Table tennis (hackney)

4. Water polo (west london)

5. Basketball (harrow)

6. Fencing (caledonian road)

7. Diving (London Aquatics centre)

8. Volleyball (hackney)

9. Tennis (eton manor olympic park)

10. Archery (koh samui, thailand)

11. Kayaking (waikiki island new zealand)

12. Boxing (bethnal green)

13. Badminton (copper box olympic park)

14. Shooting (koh pangnan thailand)

15. Trampolining (hackney)

16. Gymnastics (central london)

17. Swimming (london fields lido)

18. Pole vaulting (athletics) (lee valley athletics centre)

19. Mountain biking (Cycling) (surrey)

There is no time frame, when the challenge is done then it’s done!!!

I  am having the time of my life doing this, I have lost weight, made new friends, felt exilirated, been absolutely rubbish at stuff, got a gold star for my handstand into a headroll, busted my toe, couldn’t walk for two days after boxing, had to be pushed off the 3m board when I was too scared to dive, nearly drowned in water polo and got my face scratched to bits, found my love for table tennis again and met the love of my life through the game and a new direction with my work so that everything about me is shaped by sport, the Olympics and London 2012.