A survey has found that the Olympics has improved childrenֳ attitude to sport. Over half of primary school children have been inspired by London 2012.
The study of 700 kids aged 8 to 12 found that 52% of boys and 55% of girls said the Olympics had made them feel like doing more sports. The desire of the Olympic organisers was to өnspire a generationӠand the early signs seem to show that they have achieved this aim.
Jessica Ennis and Usain Bolt are now seen as role models by many young children with a lot of them saying that they wish to follow in their heroֳ footsteps and become athletes.
Bringing a positive influence
The fact that children are now being influenced by people that they know have worked hard to win their gold medals is seen as a positive change in kidֳ attitudes.
A few years ago similar surveys were returning results where kids just wanted to be famous for no reason. Now they want to achieve something tangible and they are aware that it takes hard work and dedication to get there.
Obviously, it is early days yet and the Olympic effect may well fall away as the games drift into history but hopefully the positive feelings the games engendered will stick with a lot of those youngsters.
Effect on adults
But you only have to see that older people have been inspired by the Olympics. The amount of joggers and cyclists has increased and sports clubs have loads of new enthusiastic members.
You see people wearing ligament knee supports or ankle supports jogging along. This may be to do with the Paralympics which is on at the moment. There is a feeling after watching these amazing athletes that if they can do it then a bit of knee pain should not be a barrier to exercise.
Hopefully, these new converts to the benefits of exercise will keep it up when the nights start to draw in and the weather turns chilly. We need them to keep going because as a nation we have to become fitter.
The energy of inspiration
The inspiring effect of the Olympics and Paralympics seems to have released a tide of positive energy that has jointly inspired children and adults alike.
With a bit of luck we can all feed off and use this energy for a very long time to come.