Sports at school were just the most terrifying experience for me. I was always argued over as the last person for the team and which team had to include me ‘cos the other one had had me the week before. Netball — I was pushed over; hockey — I still have the scars of sticks bashed into my legs; running — the rest of the class was onto the next thing before I’d even made it around the warmup track; and so it went on, week in, week out from age 5 to 17.
I can’t run properly, that’s the bottom line, but nobody noticed or checked it out and so the problem continued. What could the teachers have done? Well, it would have been good if someone had listened when I said it hurt, better still if they’d bothered to give me something else to do within my capabilities.
I have detested and avoided all sport since then. I don’t even watch it on TV. But I found things that were cerebral instead… competition gliding at which I was very good 