Meeting an Olympian ǀ My best day in school from the past 5 years

It’s going to be a good day, at this point, as far as I remember I literally enjoyed every school day, getting to see all my friends and enjoying basically every subject. Today was extra special though. It was the first day we had a visitor in with our sports scholarship program. 

I always loved the feeling, especially in yr7, of going out of class to do something sport related. I recall early on in a science lesson, I think Ms fletcher was our teacher, getting our pulse tested and Archie and I getting called out because we were triathletes so ours would be low. 

Our schools sports scholarship program doesn't gain you any money off school, as it is already free, instead you get benefits such as gym membership, training and talks. And today was the first of the talks/ lessons.

Today from Anthony Clark , a former professional badminton player and one of the best the Uk has produced.

Anthony Clark first talked to us and showed us videos of his career highlights, he had won a lot of cool stuff. He asked us some questions like what sports we do and stuff and then it was time to go down to the sportshalll itself and do some activities.

Our first activity was pretty simple- rock, paper, scissors tournament. The format was if you win go against another winner until there was a final. I got lucky I guess and made it through to the final and ended up winning- pretty cool. I was quite hyped. I don’t get the chance to win under pressure to often, if its running you just have relief that its over, if its sailing its great when you win, but relatively rare for me, considering I’m always up against literal future and current Olympians.

That felt good. Following this our next activity was a kind of reaction time test, a cone would be put in the middle of two people with hands on their knees; a third person would then say go and whoever could snatch the cone off the floor first won.

For this we were split into groups of three then go up against everyone in our groups – 2 matches of best of three. Winner goes to the playoff rounds. I go on through quarters, semis – all the way to the finals where I am up against a girl from my form.

It was quite cool at this point, all the boys are behind me; all the girls are behind verity- everyone was excited. Anthony goes to place it in between us and shouts go for the first time.

Bam, draw- we both reach out and grab it and neither of us are giving it up. Again- this happens one, two, three , TEN and more times. At this point after every single game everyone erupts- expecting someone to win. Alas it doesn’t happen.

Perhaps Anthony was already impressed I got to both finals, I certainly was with myself.

It was taking too long. “Final one,” said Anthony, “If no one wins this one it’s a draw.”

Either side chants so loud, boys vs girls – the classic, all those people from primary school who I idealised at different events, the ones that over my time had eventually become my friends chanting louder and louder, trying to drown out the chant of the girls.

Eventually everyone quiets down enough to get the final game in, at this point I reach a state I have reached literally 3 time in my life. It is hard to explain but it’s the ultimate definition of the zone.

The two times it has happened to me before were my two biggest, in my opinion, race wins in sailing. Winning my second ever race in the Tera class, at the start of seasons and winning a windy Laser race at Sunderland against the other best sailors in the country.

The best way to describe this feeling is an overwhelming confidence, you have been here before, you know what to do. This feeling is incredible, for some reason, there is absolutely zero doubt in my mind.

I had this feeling then. So relaxed I just smiled.

“Go,” Anthony shouted.

My hand snapped downwards I felt the plastic and grabbed onto it as always , this time there was less resistance, I yanked it towards me . I felt her hand reach out and touch the cone for a fleeting second, I thought she had it to, but unfortunately for her it was too late, I had a stonger grip and she had let go.

I had just won two- back to back. The boys carried me around chanting, it was amazing. 

We went on to do a load of fun,. team based challenges. It was a good time but overall this has to be on of my favourite memories