Just before my son started secondary school, he discovered there would be a mandatory section of his day devoted to sports. His timetable clearly showed that every afternoon he would have to spend at least an hour out in the sunshine… or more likely in Ireland, in the wet, mud and lashing rain. As he prepared to begin the school year, he was dreading it. He was an excellent student and very talented in many areas, but sports were not one of them.

Imagine his delight, then, when he discovered that the mandatory sports hour could be swapped for another suitably productive activity. He was thrilled to begin spending his time inside, in the warm, doing art. He is very creative, and hugely enjoyed having the time to hone his skills, plan projects and complement the work he was already doing for his curriculum art classes. He did still have to do PE lessons, so was getting regular exercise, he was just given the choice as to whether he also wanted to do extracurricular sport.

Earlier this week, as Team Ireland returned home from their most successful Olympics ever, he joked that we should have pushed him harder towards sport as a child, and he could have been bringing us home a medal. But it made me think back to that time, and how happy he had been to spend those afternoons doing art. I will always be grateful for the opportunities my son was given to take part in sport at school, but I am also incredibly pleased that he was allowed to choose his own areas of interest. He was encouraged to work hard, set and achieve goals, and learn new skills.

I am always awed by the talent, determination and hard work of Olympians, and always find the games inspiring – not to chase a medal, but to aim high and work hard, and to enjoy whatever areas of interest take my fancy.