Exercise and schooldays

I only realised a couple of years ago that its possible to learn to run, and to learn how to become better at running. At school I was the kid who was picked, well not quite last for team games, but probably second or third to last. I wasn't the fat kid - but I was the kid who slowly got slightly chubbier each year. The highlight of my school PE days was coming last in the girl's cross country age 15.

I used to dread the athletics in the summer, with the horrible 800 m and 1500 m run round the track. I distinctly remember either walking the entire way, or pulling out after a lap with "breathing problems". Now that I look back at it, I wasn't particularly fit, but in my head, that was the box I lived in and the box I would stay in. The "not very fit" box. The "will never improve my fitness because that's just the way I'm meant to be" box.

The teachers didn't help matters. The good kids - the naturally good at exercise kids - they got the help. They got the training. They joined extra-curricular classes and school teams, and the teachers focussed on these kids, and all I ever heard was, "you didn't put much effort into that now did you?" Consequently by the time I got to the top of the school - I didn't bother to even try and put effort in.

Why did none of the teachers ever say, "hey I can see you need a few tips on how to get better at running/breathing/throwing the ball, let me help you?" Or even, "hey don't you realise exercise isn't about which school is the best at kicking a stupid ball round a field, its about keeping each and every one of you healthy for life?"

Of course every one has their own individual accountability, but a helping hand/kick up the backside at a vulnerable age would have meant a lot to me - and would probably mean a lot to all those kids out there who really hate their PE lessons.

So for anyone out there who had similar experiences - YOU CAN DO IT. You'll get there, and you're not alone.