The opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics was three years ago today. Our CEO, Emma Boggis, casts her mind back to that day and wonders what Olympic legacies it helped to kick-start for people on a personal scale.
A few weeks ago we passed the ten year anniversary of winning the bid to host the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
I can still remember very clearly where I was just before 1300hrs on 6 July 2005. I was working in an office a stone's throw from Trafalgar Square. Crowded round a television waiting for those wonderful words....."The International Olympic Committee has the honour of announcing that the Games of the 30th Olympiad in 2012 are awarded to the city of London". Then within what seemed like seconds, we heard the roar of the Red Arrows overhead as they joined in the celebrations in the sky above the capital.
Lots has clearly happened in the world of sport in the ten years since then but I suspect for many of us, the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is and probably will always be the most memorable sporting event of our lifetime. In many respects I owe my current job to that day. If we hadn't won the bid we wouldn't have had a legacy to deliver and if I hadn't worked on the legacy from London 2012 I may never have made the move into the world of sports administration and to this job at the Alliance.
But today, as we mark three years since the opening ceremony, I was reminded of another personal legacy from London 2012 because I needed to get my folding bike serviced. Now this might seem a bit strange but let me explain.
On the day of the opening ceremony for the Olympics the media were reporting there were still some tickets – albeit the most expensive ones – available for the opening ceremony. I am not sure how you actually got hold of them or whether it was indeed true but I remember emailing my husband and asking if he fancied going. Although we had both got tied up in London 2012 excitement – he suggested it was rather a lot of money and we would probably see more of the activity (even if you didn’t get quite the same atmosphere ) via the TV coverage. He had also been trying to encourage us to buy a folding bicycle to add to our two wheel collection, so pointed out that for less than the price of one ticket we could both get one!
So the short story is we didn’t go to the opening ceremony, but the following day we did go and buy two Brompton bicycles – bikes which help to keep my husband and I physically active on a daily basis. That’s my unusual legacy story. I am sure there are lots more -do you have one to share?
