With all the action kicking off in Paris this week, can I just say firstly, that I am absolutely here for it. I’m about to become an expert in obscure sports like modern pentathlon and skeet shooting and I think that’s an excellent use of my time. My deep and abiding love for sports carnivals is rooted in the athletics carnivals of my primary school era.
I got right into them. It was an innocent time, I might add. One of the most arduous events was the march out, where each faction would march in formation, chanting groundbreaking rally cries like “Left, left, left, right, left.
Blue faction is the best”. Take that, Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders! Obviously, when every kid in your faction had to participate, even the tiny, uncoordinated ones, you have to practise a lot. I don’t know how the teachers decided who would supervise marching practice, but I can’t imagine it was a coveted gig.
What it did do though was heighten our expectation for the big day. After marching relentlessly around the school grounds in the lead up, we were practically in a frenzy by the time the carnival rolled around. Nat Locke Most of our preparation on carnival eve centred around crepe paper, but mainly because face paint wasn’t readily available.
The liberal application of coloured ribbons was also rampant. Yes, we were a wild bunch. And just like the Paris festivities, there was a bit of action before the official proceedings began because we would do the jumping events a couple of days .