I guess that is a peculiar header for an article but it just about sums up how I am feeling right now. Watching the Olympic athletes I am so impressed by the sheer determination and expertise that they are showing so effortlessly.

I see sports such as football where the players are massively overpaid and they get away with sitting on the bench for large swathes of the game and I find it hard to even compare. So why is the Olympics undervalued?

We should be jumping up and down, clapping loudly for our incredible athletes as they overcome so many hurdles (sometimes literally) to represent their countries and strive for medals, without family, friends and supporters nearby.

Also, sadly, their sponsorships hang in the balance. Many competitors have to work two jobs and scrape around for funding just to have a chance at applying for such championships. One athlete said she had to crowd fund £50K as well as work part time as a teaching assistant in order to find a way into the Olympics.

Skill really is important and comes through time and practise but these heroes have to balance so many things alongside trying to improve their outcomes. In my opinion, government should be doing more to support and encourage such sports leaders.

I am so impressed by the Tokyo Olympics, with its clever organisation and resilience to Covid. The GB team are doing so well and I love seeing the top athletes from other nations compete too.

This was just a quick post to say how much I adore the Olympics. Don’t you think these athletes deserve more support and funding?