Of the athletes already selected to represent Great Britain at either the Olympic or Paralympic Games in Tokyo, around 60% will be making their first Games appearance.While there will be plenty of experienced team-mates on hand to offer their wisdom and advice to Games debutants, we have asked some more of our former and current members to pass on the lessons they learnt from multiple collective Games.
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Like three-time Olympian and London 2012 bronze medallist Beth, we asked athletes to complete the following sentence:“If I could give my younger self one piece of advice before my first Games, it would be…”Britain’s joint-most successful Olympian of all-time, track cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, urged Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes to recognise that they belong on the biggest stage, and to make the most of the opportunity that they’ve earned.
Remembering to actually enjoy the Games experience was a common theme, with the likes of Donna Fraser, Hollie Pearne-Webb, Sophie Thornhill and Pippa Wilson all underlining the importance of embracing the Games, and soaking up every moment.
With five Games appearances between them, Leon Taylor and Lizzie Simmonds both emphasised the importance of calmness and perspective when making your Olympic or Paralympic debut. For Simmonds, the key was in remembering that, while the situation and the surroundings may be different, your task remains the same.