We could be heroes, just for one day

There was huge excitement on the Australian Open courts this year – four titans of tennis were facing each other, as they had done in their heyday ten years ago. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer competed for the Men’s title, while sisters Venus and Serena Williams faced off for the women’s crown. Social media was on fire – it’s entirely possible that this was the last time they face each other in a grand slam final, so this was one to watch. Titan vs titan, legend against legend.

these are moments of sheer euphoria that you never forget.

It got me thinking about legends, as the same weekend saw Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor announce his imminent retirement from darts. He is also a legend in his sport and reaction to this news was very similar to events in Australia – people lamented his decision and said that the sport would never be the same without him. Some may say that we venerate and romanticise these sporting legends too much, but they’ve a track record that strongly backs up the praise. That’s the thing with sport – even the legendary players come and go, but new legends are fashioned in their place.

To my mind, there’s a reason we like to talk about legendary sporting moments or sportspeople – whether you were watching, or taking part in yourself, they have a mythic quality that brings people together. Nothing galvanises people more than the winning goal, the match point, seeing your hero lift the trophy – if you’re on the winning side, these are moments of sheer euphoria that you never forget. Note that we still delight in our winning the World Cup in 1966, while future generations will talk of the achievements of Andy Murray or Mo Farah in the same way.

We must never forget that university is about far more than studying.

As Varsity swings around, it’s a chance for Warwick’s incredible sportspeople to create their own legendary moments. Let me make clear that I’m not in any way comparing a Varsity fixture to a tennis Grand Slam, but that doesn’t make it any less important or any less meaningful for those participating. These people become heroes in their community and their clubs. They forever have the knowledge that they excelled in something they committed to and nobody can take that away from them.

We must never forget that university is about far more than studying. This is a chance for our sportspeople to create their own moments – scoring the winning shot, with 25000 people willing you to success, is a moment that will stay with you forever. For that one shining weekend every year, each member of #TeamWarwick has the opportunity to become a legend.