And the winner is.... Sydney!
It’s hard to believe it’s 10 years since the start of the 2000 Sydney Olympics – “The best ever games”.
I vividly remember walking around the city, the buzz in the air, happy people everywhere. Going to events where we were met with smiling volunteers in brightly coloured uniforms.
But great as the Olympics were, I believe nothing, but nothing compared to the Paralympics. There was the real triumph of human spirit over diversity.
We watched the blind long jump – where runners sprinted at full tilt 
BLINDFOLDED, guided only by the clapping or calling of their coach towards the sand pit. The only concession over their sighted counterparts being the distance measurement was taken from anywhere in the one foot square launch pad rather than the foul line..
Or Goal Ball.
Imagine a basketball sized court where the goals on either side are the width of the 
court. The teams are blindfolded and the only way they could hear the ball coming towards them was listening to the tiny bells tinkling inside.
Watching a penalty shootout where just one defender covered the whole width of the court – diving to intercept the ball was quite something.
And the morning we’d walked into the main stadium just in time for a Decathlon Gold Medal Ceremony. The three athletes were on the podium. Two standing and the winner who had cerebral palsy in a wheel chair.
We stood there, tears streaming down our faces while we watched this young Englishman’s face light up with pride as he sang the British National Anthem. That memory will be forever etched in my brain.
Every one of these athletes, able bodied and disabled had a goal which drove them. They had a vision of succeeding. They knew what they wanted to achieve. Whether it was just personal achievement or winning for their country.
It gave them a reason to get up every morning and train. Rain, hail or shine. Whether they were tired or not.
Do you have a reason to get up?
The reality is the vast majority of people have no idea what they want from their lives. Yes, we want to be “comfortable”, have a “good life” etc. But what does that actually mean?
If you don’t make any attempt to quantify it, you’ll have no way of knowing whether you’re moving closer to what you want or not.
We all have something to contribute. Something to achieve in this life. People who will be positively impacted by us.
But it’ll only happen if you go out there and do something.
Carpe Diem – Seize the Day!
Rashid.
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