Run Rabbit Run

The other day the school I am currently teaching at held their athletics carnival.

Sprints, 800 metres, long jump, shot put, we had it all. Snow, sleet, rain, sun, we definitely had it all.

Looked nothing like this

I love seeing kids out and about from the classroom and having a go. It doesn't matter if they come first or last or somewhere in between - I just think it is an important part of their overall learning to be out in the fresh air and having a go.

So it brought back some lovely memories of my own athletic inability prowess at primary school. Now I am more than happy to be corrected here but I believe that we may have held a carnival or two on a weekend?  Please can those of you who read this who indeed had there primary years with me at St Mick's please advise as my memory of those days could be slightly diminished.

Well aren't they fancy nowadays!

However, the day and location is not what is important here.

The fact is that I was not known for my overall athletic prowess.  I wasn't a bad swimmer and could throw a netball or two but athletics was not my strength.

However, I did ALMOST win a race.

Yes, ALMOST.

Yes, a race. Singular.  Just one.

Although my memory is fading like the thought of ever wearing a bikini again, I do have some vivid not necessarily factual memories of this day.

I think I was in the Gold Colour House.  GOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOLD!!!!!

I am sure Mum would have had my hair styled in two glamorous pigtails, no doubt with ribbons of pooh cocky yellow a golden hue tied to my hair, similar to those tied around an old oak tree.

I typed yellow pigtails into images and got this!!!!!!!!

And I would have looked a treat in the green box pleat tunic with a nice golden coloured t shirt underneath it.  And no fancy schmancy glow in the dark, worth more than the average house Nikes, or Adidas, or even Reeboks for me.

No, the good old Dunlop Volleys which would have had a swipe over with the white polishy thingy we had. Can't remember the name but it was like white mushy polish in a bottle with a squeeze thing on the end so that the white paint effectively gripped all over the Volleys, making them wringing wet, and all over your hands and any other nearby surface.



So off, I would have trotted off merrily skipping away and ready for my race.

Now I only remember one friend in this race, for very important reasons.  Let's call her Jo, cos that's her name.  Jo came from a pretty sporty family, and also had the best pigtails so we were good friends.

Lining up against her, I didn't have any of that self doubt that most of us get when we are 6.  Actually, as Mum made me start school at 4 1/2, I still may have not reached the grand old age of 5 by the carnival.

And racing. My little fat legs would have been going six to the dozen and my pig tails flying through the air.  No doubt, there would have been many a cheer as my chubby little body raced towards the finish line.

Just when I thought I had it in the bag, a la Catherine Freeman in 2000, I decided to have a little rest, stop and turn around to bask in the glory that would be coming towards me.

I looked similar to this, without the fast legs, onesie, and stadium of poeple

And swoosh, it went right past. Yep, Jo had seized the opportunity and her long athletic legs kept on keeping on and on she went to the finish line, no doubt breaking the winners ribbon to the rapturous applause of many.

Meanwhile, I no doubt did what any little girl with chubby legs and wonky pigtails would have done, cried and cried.   Luckily, I'm not one to hold a grudge and some 40 something years later am still lucky to have Jo as one of my good friends, although the urge to trip her up around the fire whilst camping hasn't quite left me yet.

So to all those little (and big) ones who never quite got that ribbon, here's to us.

We can't all be champions.  But at least my shoes were white.

Ever been beaten in a race?
Did you have Dunlop Volleys?
Do you know Jo?


Cheers
Lisa x0x