“FURTHER car journeys this week have allowed me the opportunity to listen to more episodes of ‘Don’t Tell Me The Score’. Old Elean and Olympic Bronze Medallist, Goldie Sayers, was interviewed about her career and the lessons learnt as a professional athlete.
“Goldie was one of the favourites to win a medal, quite possibly Gold, at the London 2012 Olympics, but injury three weeks before the event cruelly robbed her of this opportunity. She was eventually awarded a Bronze medal for her performance at Beijing 2008, despite originally finishing fourth. This was upgraded to the Bronze medal position when the third place athlete tested positive for a banned substance.
“The biggest challenge from her story was her work ethic. She has very few regrets in her career because she was confident that she had given her all, 100%, to being the best athlete she could possibly be.
“She said: ‘All you can do is give your best effort…I don’t struggle with retirement because I know I gave everything; mentally, physically, emotionally, financially and so I cannot be disappointed with my career… I cannot regret giving 100%. You have complete control over your attitude… consistent efforts on a daily basis all add up.’
“With GCSEs and A Levels looming, I hope our pupils will have no regrets come August knowing they have given their all. We cannot control the outcome but we can control how hard we prepare.”