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8 inspiring life lessons from the Paris Olympics 2024
Aug 9Who else is sad the Paris Olympics is almost over?! Over the years, we’ve come to realise that there is so much more to the Olympics than winning. Whilst we enjoy the spectatorship of seeing which countries get which medals and watching the incredible athletes smash all kinds of records, there’s also been so many heart-warming stories and inspiring life lessons the Paris Olympics 2024 have taught us. Read on for more…
8 inspiring life lessons from the Paris Olympics 2024
Showing emotion is a strength
First up on our list of inspiring life lessons from the Paris Olympics is about one of the most spoken about British athletes in these games, Adam Peaty. Considered the greatest men’s breaststroke swimmer of all time, Adam wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable and show his emotions in a heartfelt interview when he won a silver medal in the men’s 100m breaststroke race. Opening up about his return to the Olympics after a hiatus to focus on his mental health, he said he was crying not because he came second, but because of how much it took to get there.
You are never too young or too old to chase your dreams
The old turn-of-phrase ‘age is just number’ certainly couldn’t be truer at this Olympics 2024 with the British Skateboarding team. With a 35-year age gap, the skateboarding team included Sky Brown and Lola Tambling, both 16-years old, and Andy Macdonald who celebrated his 51st birthday the day he travelled to Paris. It goes to show it’s never too early or too late in life to follow your heart and chase your dreams!
Sometimes taking a break means you can come back stronger
We know we aren’t the only ones who were so excited to watch USA’s Simone Biles do her thing in the gymnastics events. Taking a break for her mental health after withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles made an unbelievable comeback and flipped her way to not just one, not two, but three gold medals (and a silver to boot) becoming the most decorated US female gymnast of all time. A brilliant example of how taking time to work on yourself and making yourself a priority is never a bad thing.
Trust your instinct and keep it simple
You might have seen the photo of Yusuf Dikec, Turkey’s air pistol athlete, doing the rounds (if you haven’t, you can here…thank us later!). The 51-year-old silver medallist went viral for his laid-back demeanour during his event where he was captured with his air pistol raised in one hand, his other hand in his pocket, without any ear or eye protection, taking a very relaxed approach to competing. There’s a lot to be said for trusting your gut and believing in yourself.
If you work hard enough you can get there in the end
Anyone watching the Olympics here in the UK would have been cheering for Keely Hodgkinson, the 22-year-old British runner, who grabbed her first ever gold medal in the women’s 800m track race in the Paris Olympics. Having come second in the World Championships in 2023, Keely has narrowly missed out on any top spots in major tournaments until the Paris Olympics and we couldn’t be happier for her!
True winners cheer each other on
We’ve all seen that incredible viral photo of USA’s Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles bowing down to Brazil’s gold medallist, Rebeca Andrade, after the gymnastics floor final. Instead of feeling disappointed that neither of them nabbed the gold for themselves, Simone and Jordan celebrated their ‘queen’ Rebeca and not only her fantastic win but also it being the first ever gymnastics podium with three black women. One of the finest examples of sportsmanship we’ve seen at the Paris Olympics!
Never underestimate the power of positive words
Believe it or not, positive words have the power to completely change our mindset and that’s all too true for the British triathlete, Alex Yee. On the brink of defeat in the men’s triathlon final, Alex was running in second position and struggling to bridge the 14 second gap between himself and New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde. With just 2.5km to go, he heard his training partner and fellow Olympic gold-medallist, Alistair Brown-Lee, shout ‘anything can happen mate’ After hearing these words of encouragement, Alex dug deep and overtook Hayden, claiming the gold medal for himself. Sometimes, all we need is a little belief.
We all have the power to change our story
Sometimes in life we’re faced with the choice to overcome adversity or to give up and Britain’s trampolining gold medallist, Bryony Page, was at that crossroad not all that long ago. The first ever British athlete to win not just gold, but any medal in trampolining, it would be easy to think trampolining comes easy with her impressive routines. Little did we know Bryony had to completely re-learn her sport to get there in the first place, having experienced ‘lost move syndrome’ where the athlete gets confused in the air. At one point, Bryony wasn’t even able to complete a front somersault and spent an entire year re-learning how to trampoline. The commitment and determination to get back to doing what she loved is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
And that’s it! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading through our round-up of the 8 life lessons the Olympics 2024 have taught us.
P.S. Love these 8 life lessons from the Paris Olympics? Which moment was your favourite? Let us know in the comments!
I love this message! Could you make a second version with Yusuf Dikec without his gun? I know it sounds silly, but I know so many teachers would love to use this in their classrooms!
This blog and the graphic is ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. If possible please I’d like your permission to use it (and give credit and acknowledgement where it is due.) To you. Thank you for creating and sharing it. Take and give care. Ian