You're looking a member of the the 1986/7 Chelmsford Junior Table Tennis League Championship winning side. Many a much younger child was left snivelling by my weaselly sidespin serves and backhand loop attack.
Took up climbing at Uni, was a mediocre E-grade climber, then bikes, and the mediocrity continues to this day.
This is like therapy!
Count me in as an obsessive. What ever I get into there are guaranteed to be a pile of magazines in the living room, except my latest which is so niche that that magazines don’t exist. What’s interesting is looking back at the different training I obsessed about at each stage. Rugby-closer to 12 stone, triathlon-closer to 11.
At school it was golf, badminton, running and tennis. 6mile races at 13. Badminton and tennis continued at university UAUs. After that was rugby from 21-34 hamstrings and finally getting caught put paid to that. Was totally obsessive for the 12 years, even though playing at a low level (SW1). Still coaching at school at that point.
At 30 started triathlon, que the pile of 220s. Found out that I was a shit swimmer and turned to road racing. 2sprints won, many races dnf. Once changed next to Geraint Thomas, didn’t see him again! Road racing evolved into 24hr mtb team and solo, MM, SITS and 24/12. Then Trans Scotland and Transwales. The wettest week for 100 years in Wales!! led to A Tour of Mont Blanc with mates where we met super cool like minded people and trips to Morocco and Utah. At 40 it morphed Ito Megavalache and BMX racing, regional and British series accompanying my son.
Tennis made a comeback after an 18 gap helping the club team win the County league. Disappointed not to make county seniors team before some proper good players got old enough!
Since starting to compete at Surf Lifesaving it’s taken over my life and I’m coaching. Thought I’d have to stop when I had a hip replacement but I’m still sprinting, beach flagging and board and ski racing. Competed at Euros and World Champs, it’s awesome.
Been surfing since the age of 20. My life is spent on the beach.
Swam for my school and club from about 11 - 16 - hated it.
Played tennis for my club and school from 13 - 18.
Bit of sailing during the same period - mainly smaller boats but some bigger stuff too.
Raced XC MTB when that was all there was (88 - 93). Beat former Team Sky rider, Jeremy Hunt at one race (my father still maintains they miscounted my laps, but I'm taking it).
Got back into running and cycling about 12 years ago. Have done lots of different races - 10k, half, marathon, etc, plus pretty much every distance of triathlon from sprint to Ironman.
Got back into mtbing properly about 5 years ago, when I realised that road riding was boring as hell and that there were some decent trails pretty close to where I live.
JP
Primary school
BMX racing
Cross country
Football
Secondary School
Riding road bikes
Football
Rugby
Athletics
Fishing
College
Booze
Trail Running 🏃♀️
Colts rugby
University
Football
Rugby
Trail Running
Mountain biking (and first race in 96)
I kept football and rugby going into my 30’s - playing County League rugby and Sunday footy. Bust my arm pretty badly and reverted to playing footy twice a week before hanging up the boots and doing more and more cycling and running
Now 44 - Triathlon’s, duathlons, mtb racing and as much running as my grumbly ankle allows. Oh... and yoga and gym stuff. And a weekly swim.
Think that’s about it. Definitely more a solo sport person these days... mainly as have to cram it all around work and a family life.
School age was a combination of rugby, football, tennis, athletics and judo. Was passable at most but actually quite competitive nationally with Judo.
Played some squash, badminton, basically anything sporty as well. Quite a bit of hill walking too!
At uni did a tiny bit of rugby but started cycling and continued Judo gaining my Dan grade.
Continued with a bit of cycling and judo ( now coaching as well and have started my eldest at it. Restarted a bit of tennis as well.
What sports have we managed to pass onto our kids?
School: poor cricketer but played in every school team.
University: Lightweight rower for a year
Thirties: Village cricket with the kids.
Always cycled for fun and commuting, but took up road racing when we moved and kids got older at 44 and then latterly TTing.
Discovered to my shock that I’m rather good at 12hr TTs! Like nationally good. Like top 10 nationally good! I soooo wanted to be good at Road racing, and currently have a second cat license - till November, anyway. But 12hr TTs are my thing. Not having any form of sprint seals it as a TTer, but I have won a vets circuit race.
Also have all the road and TT BC coaching badges.