Wednesday 7 December 2011

Sinewy arms? I'll take them.

Liz Jones’s article “Sinewy arms are NOT a good thing - and neither is sport” has sparked a lot of discussion over the past few days – a lot of it, unsurprisingly, among sportswomen. No doubt this was the intended reaction, but nevertheless it saddens me that such a shallow impression should be allowed to stand. Suggesting that sport is a miserable experience to be avoided, that sporting excellence can only be achieved at the expense of an education, and that sportswomen are boring and masculine is unjustifiable and untrue. Sinewy arms may be one product of the hard work athletes put in – but is that all there is to it?

Strange as it may seem, my sinewy arms signify to me great pride. The hours of training I have put in have allowed me to be part of many teams: school teams, university teams, county teams and even national teams. Teamwork – real teamwork – can be hard to come by these days. Everyone wants to be the best at what they do, and if there’s a way to get ahead of the competition, they take it. It is sad to think that someone could never experience the incredible feeling of being part of a team - every person willing the next to be the best they can be. Whether you’re a competitor, a coach, support staff, volunteer or supporter, you are part of the team, and you play a role in the victory. With every achievement follows a sense of pride, shared by every member of the team. Every member can learn from one another, regardless of age or experience, because the very nature of a team is that you’re all in it together. How can something that sparks such unity not be a “good thing” – particularly in the gloom inspired by current headlines detailing public riots, racial abuse, murder and the financial crisis to name a few? National pride – and the sense of responsibility for the future of our nation – is something we cannot appreciate enough, and the importance of teamwork, therefore, should not be dismissed.

Jones suggested that “helping people” is an alternative to sport, yet through sport athletes are helping others every day. The support of teammates can help an athlete overcome significant challenges, thereby building self-confidence and self-belief – qualities just as essential off the playing field as on it. From a different perspective, millions of pounds are raised each year through charitable sporting events, giving everyone the opportunity to do something selfless. Sporting organisations, youth groups and charities are all underpinned by a network of volunteers who give up their time to do exactly that: “help others” through the medium of sport.

Sacrifice, dedication and organisation are all a part of my sinewy arms. The majority of elite athletes have been training day-in, day-out for years, and as a result they have learnt to balance school, college, university or work with their training. Unlike Jones suggests, it is possible to read or study maths alongside sport. The two are not mutually exclusive:  British diver Stacie Powell competed at the Olympics in 2008 and is studying for a PhD in astrophysics at Cambridge University; Olympic kayak champion Tim Brabants studied medicine at the University of Nottingham; water polo player Vicki Hawkins has combined her training with a PhD in Chemical Engineering; and swimming is so popular at Loughborough University that there are FIVE squads of student-athletes. Throughout the nation our universities and schools are filled with young men and women who are choosing to live their lives this way – and the choice is not to sacrifice their education, but to achieve in both the academic and sporting arenas. Not an easy task, and surely something to be applauded, not dismissed.

Clearly my sinewy arms signify physical strength, which, outside the sporting arena, could be useful for lifting cars off old ladies and winning arm wrestling contests. This aside, they are also a representation of mental strength and strength of character. It is all very well putting in the hours of training, eating healthily and getting plenty of rest, but without resilience and determination, an athlete couldn’t possibly reach their potential. There are frustrating injuries, fierce rivalries, and sometimes unexplainable dips in form which every athlete has had to battle through. The will to overcome these difficulties produces a mentally stronger individual, still intent on working towards a goal. Putting yourself on the line, day after day, results invariably in a mixed bag of outcomes. Some days you will win, and others you will lose. Although it can be a hard lesson for many, coping with disappointment and defeat is a integral part of sport, and one which will provide strength of character. Being a successful athlete teaches you to be gracious in victory as well as defeat. Picking oneself up after defeat and trying again takes immense willpower, and is something everyone can benefit from, within sport and in wider life. I don’t believe any of the lessons I’ve learnt through sport are exclusive to this part of my life – I intend to carry the dedication, strength, focus and pride through to the challenges I face in the future, whatever they may be. All are valuable to potential employers, and clearly demonstrable through sporting achievements.

Liz Jones appears to suggest that to be a top sportswoman you must be focused, boring and masculine. Focused: yes. Boring? I wonder if Liz Jones has ever watched a tennis match involving Serena Williams, or read an interview with Fran Halsall? Masculine? Has Liz Jones ever seen Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton or Keri-Anne Payne? Sportswomen are powerful, yes, but they are also healthy, graceful and poised as a result of their dedication. Being focused and disciplined is not the same as being boring. Being masculine is not the same as being sporty. Sport IS a “good thing”. Aside from the undeniable health benefits, sport has given me an enormous sense of pride, an evident work-ethic, and friendships for life. Sinewy arms? I’ll take them.

13 comments:

  1. Love this blog. Best was '... could be useful for lifting cars off old ladies...'.

    Hope you do more.

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  2. whilst I agree with everything you write on here.. I'm not convinced about the starting point...anyone who takes an opinion piece written in the (hate) Mail with any level of seriousness, has their own issues to confront...

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  3. Thanks Andy! I see your point. Please know that I wrote this just to show how I think of sport, and the great things I have experienced from it. For whatever reason, I'm glad I did.

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  4. Tell Liz Jones to check out pro surfing! Where women have their own tour alongside mens, yet enter the mens events, such a Carissa Moore in the save Triple Crown of surfing. Women who understand while not having the raw power of men, have more grace and style to compensate. Who are judged no different from 'the guys'... also consider 3foot of water weighs a tonne. Then imagine 40 foot of it, moving at 30mph over 3 foot of water covering a sharp reef.

    I give you Keala Kennelly:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOv3bzJ3g-g

    Judged by what you do - not how you look. In surfing, us guys and girls stand side by side.

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  5. At the weekend I watched Mary King - Gorgeous at 50 and at the very height of her form in 2011 getting ready to represent GB at London 2012 - a fantastic example of a Top Female Athlete (and slim as a pin) along with her beautiful daughter Emily demonstrating the best sport on earth ... Liz Jones has a strange and disappointing lack of respect for women in sport.

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  6. Liz Jones is INSANE. Either that or the most hamfisted internet troll on God's good earth.

    As my best mate says: "You don't have to answer a barking dog."

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  7. Clearly Jones has paid no attention to female atheletes. Vicky Pendleton doesn't look masculine at all, neither does Kelly Sotherton, Catherine Murphy or Amy Williams to name a few, yet they are elite athletes. And as for having no education, there are too many examples to event bother citing where the athlete in question went though university as part of their sporting career, not despite it. Jones and her colleagues at the Daily Fail are nothing but embittered, right-wing middle-Englanders who compensate for their own miserable failings by attacking others based on any difference they can find. I say we should celebrate our world-class female athletes far more than we do and be damned proud that this little island can still produce participants who can cut it at the very top.

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  8. Well you socked it to her and how, well done! Sport has an invaluable place in the formation of a just, healthy and productive society. I visited Pompeii and was told about the sport summer camps they held to"occupy" the young and channel their energy. Without which they feared they would get up to no good and that was in AD 79. I think you say everyone wants to do their best, I think we are born that way, but right now I am not sure if we nurture our children(en mass) to believe they have a "best" that anyone else wants them to find. Sport and the arts are equally essential to stretch and refine us in a variety of ways. Which all make us a better healthier member of our community.

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  9. Liz also had a major "pop" at Kirsty Allsop , amd anyone that home bakes or crafts,. She clearly does not have a life or appreciation of anyone who tries to do things for themselves from sport through to baking? Ps I do both and have arms accordingly!

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  10. I love how baking and crafts are WAY too feminine for 'proper' women to indulge in, but sports are WAY too masculine! Hmm, it's almost like we can't win... In fact, it almost makes me think Liz Jones just hates all women!

    Fab article, Katie, really well written. I love your passion, it really shows here. Your sinewy arms are excellent and a true badge of your dedication. I'm very proud to know you xx

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  11. Excellent article! I may just have to share this around my friends. Well written, concise and to the point.

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  12. I comptely agree with you! Her article
    angered me, and I also wrote a response to it on her, although I'm quite new to this and haven't got as many views! Haha http://www.blogger.com/profile/15444665402765495219

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