Before sacrifice and support, you need facilities

Richard Shaw Chief Executive SAPCA

The gap between the Olympics and the Paralympics feels like the time between Christmas and New Year, a gap just long enough to start to miss the former without quite being able to enjoy the latter yet! To the sports’ fan it’s the chocolate box-esque variety that these spectacles serve up that capture the imagination so much. Among the highlights for me at Paris 2024 were the spectacular climbing events. Seeing Toby Roberts win gold by clinging onto boulders with the thinnest of grips and contorting legs to swing to the next – incredible!

It’s great to hear of the athletes’ journeys which have played such a part in the BBC’s coverage this year. It really helps to understand the sacrifices and support structures that global achievement requires.

Another point that was stressed was how UK facilities have been vital to the success of Team GB in this and previous Olympics. Toby was eight when he visited his first indoor climbing centre. Amber Rutter was 10 when she decided to go to the firing range with her grandfather. Emily Craig was 12 when she joined her local rowing club. All three achieved gold for Team GB, but what if those facilities were 10 miles further down the road?

The sacrifices and support are nearly always tied to a facility. It is also at facilities that young people first gain access to various sports – activities which could otherwise be inaccessible.

In his book ‘Bounce’, Matthew Syed highlights how, when he stripped back his ego and looked at the reasons for his successes, it was a table tennis table at home, easily accessible coaching and regular opponents – and, crucially, a club that was open 24 hours for its members – that allowed him to win. The small Omega Club featuring one table produced, in Syed’s words, “more outstanding table tennis players than the rest of the Nation combined” for a period.

Facilities are crucial, because it is at facilities that young people first gain access to various sports and activities

So, before sacrifice and support comes inspiration and accessible facilities. Now that Paris 2024 has provided the inspiration, can we, as a country, afford to not provide the facilities to create world class athletes? Not to mention the many others who might not reach Olympic heights but will gain so much – and get healthy and enrich society – by aiming to get there?