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Roaring for Rio T


he Rio Olympic Games are approaching at the speed of Usain Bolt, and our very own Olympic hopeful, Clare Blunt, Digital Marketing Manager, has been


taking a look at the events to watch in the Cidade Maravilhosa this Summer. Inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, held


in Olympia from the 8th Century BC to the 4th century AD, the modern Olympics have become one of the most anticipated events of the sporting calendar. Now in its XXXI Olympiad, ask any young sports star what their ultimate goal is and you’d be hard pushed to find someone who didn’t say they dreamt of an Olympic gold medal. In fact, for many athletes, simply getting the chance to compete for their country at an Olympics would be a dream come true. After the excitement of London 2012 the


eyes of the nation will be turned once again to the British hopefuls in Rio de Janerio. And with over 40 sports to choose from, whether you like the speed and drama of track cycling, the powerful blows of taekwondo or the skill and finesse of synchronised swimmers, there’s sure to be plenty of action to follow. For me, day 11 and day 16 are already


earmarked in the calendar, as they are the days of the pole vault finals in the athletics stadium. You see, I am also one of those (not so young) sports hopefuls, dreaming of an Olympic gold medal. And whilst Rio has crept up a year or two too soon, I hope to pull on a British vest and compete internationally in the not too distant future. So I’ll be keeping a close eye on the competition, and hopefully picking up some tips for my next training session.


Why pole vault? I first got into pole vaulting after spending


some time at the track sprinting and hurdling, but always looking enviously over at the pole vaulters swinging about on ropes and doing handstands. It looked like a lot of fun, despite the potential to go wrong and end up in a heap next to a big metal box… but I was young and care free so didn’t think too much about the dangers! Now, having been a ‘pole vaulter’ for over 8


years, I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing on an evening than meeting up with my training group and flinging myself into the air on the end of 14 feet of fibreglass. Except maybe one thing – doing that at the Olympic Games!


OLYMPICS 2016, 74 www.parkleisure.co.uk


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