MARC WOODS, left, a swimmer who has competed in five Paralympic Games, winning 12 medals, including four golds, was an ambassador for the London 2012 bid
I REPRESENTED Great Britain at the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul, just 18 months after my left leg was amputated because of cancer, and it was an amazing experience. I had never been to an opening ceremony or a closing ceremony, or stayed in an Olympic village, and that is why the UK School Games is such a good idea.
Next month in Glasgow, children will get the chance to compete in the biggest school sports event staged in the United Kingdom and it will give them a taste of what London 2012 is going to be like. They will take part in an opening ceremony, stay in an athletes’ village and get to experience what life will be like if they make it to the very top.
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It is something that is often overlooked because the Games village can be a very distracting place. I went to five Paralympic Games and, initially, I was totally overawed by everything and I took my eye off the ball. But I soon realised that I had to be disciplined and made sure that socialising in the village did not affect my performances.
Now is the perfect time for children to get involved in sports and chase their dreams; 2012 is six years away, but it has already encouraged more people to participate in sports and lead more healthy lifestyles. There are thousands of kids thinking, “London is my dream”, and it is important to have dreams even though only a few of them will be realised.
My advice to young swimmers such as Louise Watkin is to enjoy getting the little things right. When I was training I used to think: “Am I doing all that I can to be as good as I can be today.” Sometimes I was tired or not feeling very well, but I knew that if I was true to myself I would succeed.