Name the professional athletes you respect the most and why.
Dame Sarah Storey won her 19th Gold medal at the Paris 2024 paralympic games today. She has competed at 9 paralympics over several years. She started out as a swimmer but then took up cycling. Her 19th gold was for winning a road race around Paris. She also competes in the velodrome. She was born in 1977 and was made a dame because of her abilities as a sportswoman. Her physical disability is an underdeveloped left arm and hand from before she was born.
Name the professional athletes you respect the most and why.
Lucy Bronze is one of the names that springs to mind. She was one of the English Women’s football team who won the European Football cup in 2022 and we’re runners up to Spain in the World Cup final this year.
I’m not fully aware of the whole team, but I did actually watch their games which is unheard of for me. I guess it’s because it’s so unusual to see women’s football being promoted. Up until a few years ago there was very little coverage. At one time in the past in the 1930’s I think there were huge league matches that could be compared with their male counterparts but then women’s football was banned here!
It was only when the film ‘Bend it like Beckham’ came out in the 1990’s. It was about an Asian girl wanting to play football and all the problems she had getting her family to accept that she could do it. It was a brilliant film. I’m sure some of the professional women football players who took part in the recent competitions were encouraged and spurred on by that film.
As I say I’m not very sport orientated but I also admire the tenacity of professional Cyclists. Today is the last day of the Tour of Britain cycle race which will be held in south Wales. Wout van Aert is only leading by 3 seconds after a week of intense racing. There is a slim chance he might be beaten. I will be watching.
Mallaband-Brown 