Monday, 7 January 2013

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“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end” – Seneca

I am sorry for the long silence.  I have been busy...

This blog started with the opening of the Olympics.  Then, as the Paralympics drew to a close, the Greatest Show on Earth rolled out of town for another 4 years. 
London returned to normal.  The towering triangular spotlights that illuminated our lives were dimmed for the final time and the Gamesmakers neatly folded and put away their distinctive purple livery.  As kids swapped their Team GB replica kits for school uniforms, the flame that had burned so brightly went out.

And as the kids went back to school, so did I – as a teacher in a central London school, I spend each day attempting to infuse young minds with the mysteries and delights of Mathematics.  This puts me right on the front line: direct access to the generation that Seb Coe and his LOCOG team pledged to inspire. 
Unfortunately, and all too quickly, the Olympic glow has faded to a mere fond memory.  Legacy is a poorly defined term, but initial evidence seems to suggest that the change the Games have actually effected is minimal.  The Games did inspire people but the fiery passion it aroused died out with the flame.   

This was disappointing but inevitable: to secure a lasting impact, the fire must be stoked, and for this individuals must take responsibility.  I hope that my challenge might allow me to be one of these people.

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