Go girl

Poetry for peak performance

© Agência Brasil Fotografias

Go girl

(Inspired by Simone Biles, Paris Olympics 2024)

Grit, grin. Go girl go!
You got this, your Olympian dream
A pinnacle of tireless training
All come together in muscle-mind-magic.

Breathless say I, amongst millions of mortals
Spellbound by the infinitesimally practised
Trouble tuck touch triumph.
Go girl, be bold. Go gold!

Bandaged tears pain sinews snapped
No pretty in pink parade for the cameras
But blind focus and faith, fanatical
To touch the top of your game girl.

Mid-air, momentously suspended in unbelief
That muscle, bone and skin could be so airborne
As if lifted by an army of angels
Upon a nascent cloud for us to marvel.

So go girl, give it your all - your gold
An extra ounce of effort away as we,
Open-mouthed, gasp, clap, applaud
and return to Earth again, blessed by your boldness.

6 October 2024

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Wow.

A moment when live television captures something unique.

I had been brought up watching Olympic gymnastics as a teenager - goggled-eyed by the likes of Olga Korbut and Nadia Comăneci doing the seemingly impossible - defying gravity.

Subsequently, revelations of sexual and physical abuse surrounded the sport, and it seemed that its reputation had been tarnished.

But in 2024, in Paris, the USA gymnastics team brought back memories of those original glory days, and in particular, Simone Biles, who led the women’s team to a team gold and added to her own unsurpassed 7 Olympic golds.

And it wasn’t just the winning that took the breath away. It was the steely focus, the determined resolved not to let any mistakes put her off her game.

Truly a great sports-woman.

I hope this poem captures something of the spirit of that moment, and her prowess.

Enjoy!