Wow it came round quickly. Only a few moments ago there were 500 days to go, and suddenly here we are. One year from now we will be watching the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic games.
Chances are you’ll be watching it too, somewhere. And in a little over two weeks it will all be over.
Question is – how long will the memories linger?
- Did you apply for tickets …did you get them? We applied but like most applicants we didn’t get any. There was the option to buy some of the left over tickets, but £700 or so to watch the pole vault final was a bit steep. And I *love* the pole vault.
- Did you apply to be a volunteer …did you get in? Well done if you did, I think it will be a brilliant experience to play a valuable role in bringing the Games to life.
- Are you competing? I am totally in awe if you are, that is incredible and you are an extroadinary person. Very best wishes, whichever nation you represent.
- Are you part of LOCOG? Good effort! It looks like an extremely well run project and although I doubt you will ever get the credit you deserve, I am sure you will feel the satisfaction of a job well done for years to come.
- Are you involved in one of the Inspire projects, or any of the unofficial communtiy projects that will spring up to celebrate the Games?
Please make the most of this £multi-billion event – it’s the most expensive summer holiday we’ll ever get the chance to go on!
Don’t just stay inside and watch it on the telly.
One year from now we will be watching the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic games in Weymouth, immersed in the buzz and excitement of an expectant Olympic town, moments away from giving birth to a fantastic few weeks of world class sailing events. We will have our own reason to be excited, because a group of us will be witnessing the birth of a new long distance path.
The next morning we are going to start walking.
About 12 days later we’ll be at the Olympic stadium in London. Ironically we’ll arrive in time to watch the 50km walk. If you did the whole walk with us you will have walked around 350km. Maybe not as fast, or with as much cheering, but then not as wiggly either!
So how long will the memories linger? My lifetime for sure. My kids will remember – and I’m still hoping I can get them to join us for a bit of it! And if/when they have kids, I plan on spinning them the longest yarn ever about the friends I made on the walk, and how every time I see a firework I am reminded of our small part in making the London 2012 Games such a uniquely British games. If I’m really on form I might even get a little teary as I er.. recall how Seb and Boris made us all guests of honour at the closing ceremony.
Heheheh, grandpa Mark is going to have fun 
Sign up now to join Walk2012. It’s free and you can bring your friends!
Join us for a day, a weekend or however long suits you. We’d love you to share the experience with us.
I intend to forge vivid, lifelong Walk201 memories during the London Olympics, involving our own set of competitive activities. I feel strongly that the Olympic Games and especially Walk 2012 cannot be properly completed, for example, without a proper cheese contest; some beer-related activities; and some form of sausage* game.
I also think that long-distance walks involve other memorable though less decorous possibilities for those with a competitive nature; whose socks die first? Who has the most blisters? Who did the most swearing when the going got tough and – (and this is really where I hope to bag myself at least one medal) – who bent the largest number of titanium tent pegs?
Joking aside, I doubt I would have taken much interest in the Olympics were it not for your infectious optimism and I am very glad for how you have opened my eyes to the kinds of memories that can be made and the kinds of ways that we can join in with the idea of the Games. You are very inspiring and genuinely unjaded about the whole Olympics thing, and I for one shall be very happy to share the Games with you. I can’t believe it’s only a year…
*this is not a euphemism; I mean actual sausages purveyed by butchers and other venerable victualers.
I’m very excited about the Olympics. I was lucky enough to get tickets for the canoe slalom and for the tennis and I really want to see at least one of the ‘free’ events (marathon, cycling road race) but I also plan to participate more actively by taking part in at least one day of Walk2012. I think it’s an amazing project and I’m really looking forward to it.
Have to agree that when it comes to project management it has been an absolutely first class job so far. Have to say though that I’m much more inspired by Walk 2012 – and lots more grass roots stuff – than some of the sterile landscapes that are emerging from what once felt like my manor.
Thanks folks!
Colleen I am totally with you on the physical changes on the edge of hackney and Stratford, can’t help feeling it is going to look very out of place 2 years from now. Maybe it will attract a whole new population? Somehow this is a “good thing” …as long as we all forget about the population that was displaced to make room.
Liz, I am jealous, I love canoeing and I love the technical difficulty of the slalom – those people are incredible.
Very happy to have you on walk2012 even if for a day. So far there are way more blokes than women signed up, so Felix will have her hands full …that sounds wrong, but we’d all love your company
Mark