I would like to talk about an annual sports day that took place when I was around nine or ten years old at my primary school in Bristol. It was held on the school playing fields towards the end of the summer term, and the atmosphere was always electric because everyone got involved, from the pupils to teachers and parents.
The school divided all of us into four colour-coded house teams, and we competed in a whole range of traditional events. Aside from the standard sprint races, there were novelty events like the egg-and-spoon race and the sack race. I was chosen to run the final leg of the four-by-one-hundred-metre relay, which was quite nerve-racking, as well as the three-legged race with my best mate at the time. We ended up taking that one far too seriously, practising our stride rhythm for days beforehand during break times.
Both of my parents managed to take the morning off work to come and cheer me on from the sidelines, along with my younger sister. They were waving hand-made banners and shouting encouragement every time I ran past, which was slightly embarrassing but lovely nonetheless.
To be honest, I felt immensely proud of how I did. In the relay, our team managed to secure second place after a really tight finish, and my partner and I actually won a red ribbon in the three-legged race. Looking back, what really made it memorable was not just winning a ribbon, but the tremendous camaraderie and the infectious school spirit on that warm afternoon.