16 Bedfordshire Business Manager stars in closing ceremony
KATHY Taylor thought volunteering to play her flute would earn her a role in the Olympics; but after putting her through five hours of auditions the organisers decided to cast her as a ‘character actor’ instead. So Kathy left her desk at the
Bedfordshire Criminal Justice Board to travel (on trains, tubes and buses) to the former Ford Factory site in Dagenham where a full-sized mock up stage had been built. “As rehearsals went by, it became apparent that I was to dress in Edwardian gear and be a ‘flying observer’, looking on in amazement that man could lift off from the
earth’s surface,” said Kathy who was one of 3,500 volunteer performers. “We actually came on right
towards the end of the closing ceremony show. To ELO’s Mr Blue Sky, we entered the Olympic stadium, clocked the rockets then the flying
machines to which we ran. As the first cannon failed and Eric Idle climbed out of the angel-filled hole into which “he” had fallen, he started singing Always Look
on the Bright Side of Life. We stood and looked amused, whistled when he referred to “life’s gristle” (yes, that is my whistle you can hear – a skill taught by my Mum), We left the stage to the
chorus as a motley mix of Britishness came onto the stage – Welsh lady-clad rugby-playing singers, Bhangara dancers, nuns on skates, morris dancers, Scottish pipers. So my fifteen minutes of fame lasted about five. But, I’m so glad I did it – the Olympics will never come to Great
Kathy in her costume
Britain again in my lifetime and it was such fun.”9
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT The Olympic Legacy
The 2012 London Olympics Games will be remembered for different things by different people, but what about its legacy? There are new sports venues where once there was wasteland, and budding athletes taking up everything from archery to boxing. But what about the specific legacy for females asks Diane Lowe?
London 2012 was the first Olympic Games where every competing nation had at least one female representative. It was also the first where women took part in every sport including boxing. Three of the five biggest delegations, the United States, China and Russia, brought more female athletes than men and they won more medals. So you ask, what has this got to do with me? I believe the
biggest legacy of the Olympic Games is the message which sits behind these terrific achievements. Samantha Murray won a silver medal in the modern pentathlon. She said afterwards: “Honestly, if you have a goal, anything you want to achieve in life, don’t let anybody get in your way, you can do it. There are so many people and so many things that will feel like they’re trying to set you back, but honestly, find the path you
want to take in life and follow it, stick to it because if I can do it – I’m a normal girl – anybody can do anything they want to do.” And, she wasn’t a lone voice
with Olympians from across the world sharing that their secret to success was simply sheer determination. The real message here is that it
isn’t always the best people who succeed; only a few individuals have an outstanding talent, most achieve their dreams through self-belief and hard work. For the majority of women the second part is really easy, it is the first part, the self-belief which causes the problem. Often you are far better than you actually think you are. So what can you do about it? 1. Understand where this lack of confidence comes from and start believing the opposite then ‘I can’t’ becomes ‘I can’.
Diane Lowe
2. Recognise that most of the things stopping you moving forward are in your head, and not often based on reality.
3. Get ahead of the competition by using a mentor or coach. 4. Remember, failure is not a bad thing. It is better to try and fail than never try at all.
So what is it you are putting off? What will be your legacy? 9
GRAPEVINE Autumn 2012
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