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Could The Olympics Make The Nation Fitter?
Other | Thursday 17th May 2012 | Osh
London will hold host to the Olympic Games this year from the 27th of July. As if you already didn’t know.
London 2012:
With just 71 days to go, and boosts from sponsors such as Coca Cola, McDonald’s and Visa, talk of the Games is so abundant, many are sick of it. And this is before they have even begun. But with world famous brand sponsors, endless adverts and campaigns, was it the best idea for London to accept the Games in the first place?
England’s capital city won the chance to host the Olympics in 2012, and really show what we’re made of way back in 2003. At the time, nine cities were in with a chance of winning the bid before Madrid, New York, Moscow, Paris and of course London were shortlisted. By September 2005, it was announced London had the successful bid.
The £9 Billion Bid:
Over seven years in the making, London 2012 will be the third time the capital has been awarded the Games. Despite much public criticism, mainly due to travel variations, monetary cut backs and new building projects, Olympic organisers have been working non-stop to make sure the event is a successful cultural, social and sporting period.
Although, it has been estimated that the Olympics has cost Londoners over £9 billion, and as much of the funding derives from public tax, many are not happy. But surely any event that could potentially bring in fantastic economic gain for the city, and the country as a whole and encourages sport and fitness to all must be a positive thing?
As the Greater London has been separated into 3 areas; The Olympic Zone (Stratford & East London), The River Zone (including the o2 Arena) and The Central Zone (West London. But a number of events will not actually take place in London, such as rowing and sailing, which will be in Weymouth.
Already, there has been a number of expensive upgrades for the London Underground, including an extension of the East London line and improvements on the DLR network. But considering how strong links around London were in the first place, was all this necessary?
Particularly at the beginning of the victorious bid, there was an intense public outcry about wasting taxes on pointless enhancements. Many felt that money would have been better spent on building or advancing Olympic venues in the capital, such as stadiums.
Move to the Beat:
Along with 26 competitive sporting events, organisers hope to Olympics will encourage the public to keep London green. The Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 aimed to use low carbon emissions when building for the Olympics, producing as little waste as possible, improving and promoting healthy living and working alongside communities.
Because of countless celebrity endorsements and campaigns as the nation limbers up for the Games, such as Mark Ronson with his Move To The Beat scheme. With Coca Cola supporting the campaign as well, the system aims to inspire young people to develop an interest in sport, and encouraging healthy lifestyles.
Move To The Beat also intends to sustain this vision, even after the completion of the Olympics this year. Coca Cola want to tap into young people’s passion for music, with the help of Ronson and chartopper Katy B, and persuade young people to create their own brighter future by putting their skills and talents to good use.
The Importance of Sport:
There has been a huge recent decline in sports schemes for state schools, but the head of the Army Careers Office, Sargent Bicker-Caarten described how much those involved enjoyed the StreetGames; “Events like this encourage young people to keep active, the competitive element is also there- and the fun!”. He also stated that it allowed members of the community to interact with one another and raise awareness of the importance of health and wellbeing.
Plus, the Future Flames campaign, fronted by the likes of You Me At Six, which gives inspiring young Britons to carry the Olympic torch in its relay journey. Olympic organisers have also set up a charity to help disadvantaged children with StreetGames; the opportunity to enjoy sports and other energetic activities. Work experience was also awarded to a 40 lucky teens through StreetGames, who will relish behind the scenes of the Games.
After all, in a 2008 interview, then Prime Minister Gordon Brown revealed how important sport is for kids and how challenging them is of equal significance. He stated; “We want to encourage competitive sports in schools, not the “medals for all” culture we have seen in previous years. In sport you get better by challenging yourself against other people…”.
Regardless of how pricey bringing the Olympic Games to London for this July has been, it has inevitably encouraged young people to get into sport. The innumerable amount of tourists that are sure to grace our shores this summer are also likely to really help with any economic turnover.
The encouragement gives Londoners hope that the future may be full of healthier, more active people. And the Games are sure to make the capital even more of a thriving, successful city.
Marianne Calnan
