The 2016 Olympics have kicked off in Rio, and as was the case four years ago in London I’m already fairly hooked. I like the fact that the Games allow us to see a variety of sports that would not otherwise be shown on television, even if I don’t always understand the rules! Take fencing, for example – the athletes are so agile and the action so quick that I find it hard to even slightly know what’s going on, and so far judo just looks like two people rolling around on the floor. Of course, I know there’s more to it than that, and I’d like to think I can make the most of the opportunity to learn more. What also satisfies me about the Olympics is knowing how it can inspire people to take up sport themselves afterwards, as it must be a fantastic feeling, after a period of searching, to finally find the one that suits them best.

I remember that following London 2012 I really wanted to try archery. I’d done it a few years previously on a school trip, but by then I was wondering whether I could take it up more seriously as a hobby. I spent a little while sniffing around a local club and made a few enquiries, but in the end I was not able to pursue it any further, mainly due to some slight opposition from Mum and Dad over the fact I wouldn’t be able to get there very easily (even though it was relatively close anyway). Perhaps it would also have been inconvenient because I was still at school at the time and in the midst of the GCSE years, but maybe at this stage of my life things would be different, with taking part possibly being less of an obstacle now I am 18 – 19 in less than three weeks, in fact! Archery is said to be an ideal sport for everyone, whether they are disabled or able-bodied, thanks to its lack of reliance on physical fitness. It is also very social and can do wonders for things such as hand-eye co-ordination, for example – and that’s probably something that could be improved in my case!

Perhaps archery is worth looking into again now, or at some point in the future. Either way, I will try it again one day, and it could be good for me to find something new to engage with, or just something that will get me out of the house a little more, be it a sport or anything else. I’ll try looking around to see what I can find, but my only concern is that I won’t be taken seriously, following all of the ideas I haven’t followed through before. It might be that my first challenge will be convincing some people that such an attitude isn’t necessary!

Mason