Well someone had to start this news area off!! Any news and thoughts here welcomed. All i can say is good luck Team GB we are all thinking of you. Makes you feel out of breath just thinking about it - lol
Here's to Team GB anyway and all those that are in the Olympics and the Paraolympics
GO FOR GOLD?!!
I'm watching the opening ceremony - really enjoying it, and surprised myself with it 
i happened to be reading the asthma uk site earlier and was interested to read about how many of the athletes have asthma
Some of Team GB's brightest gold medal hopefuls for 2012 have asthma, including Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins. Talking about his asthma, cyclist Bradley told Asthma UK: 'It's only a hindrance if you make it one - it does sound quite bad if you are diagnosed with asthma and your natural instinct is to think that's it. But there is better medicine available now and I am an Olympic champion - the evidence is out there that you can succeed.'
Rebecca Adlington (swimmer), Paula Radcliffe (marathon runner), Jo Jackson (swimmer), Jo Pavey (10,000m runner), Craig Bellamy (footballer), Alex Gregory (rower), Andrew Badderley (1,500m runner), Greg Rutherford (long jumper), Michael Rimmer (800m runner), Adam Gemili (100m runner), Laura Weightman (1,500m runner), Euan Burton (judo athlete), Pete Reed (rower), Tom James (rower) and Mhairi Spence (pentathlete) are among the other members of Team GB who have asthma.
25% of the Team GB athletics squad in 2012 have asthma.
I only turned the opening ceremony on to take the mick, but it's compulsive!
I wasn't going to watch it live, but was recording it to watch at a later date, but as Piglet says a above it was compulsive. I have been pretty much concerned about the money being spent considering that the country is supposed to be struggling economically, and many essential services being cut. But I have to say that having watched it compulsively, Danny Boyle and every one involved did our nation proud. It was simply amazing, well almost, don't understand what Paul McCartney was doing singing Hey Jude at the end, bit of a flat end after the lighting of the cauldron.
I thought that about McCartney! The voice is gone mate!
wowzers the Gymnastics was pretty good!! fair play to them!! and Rebecca Addlington, she done is proud!!
xxx
yeah go the gymnasts! And the equestrians who won silver! EDIT Woot! Just seen the news about the rowers - go the rowers!
I'm all for Team GB, I like watching them and I think it's fantastic that there are asthmatics like Bradley Wiggins who are doing so well. I can see why AUK is promoting this as it can be encouraging esp. for young athletes who might be worried about how asthma could affect them.
But am I the only one who also feels a bit, well, inferior sometimes with all this stuff about 'Olympic athletes have asthma but don't let it stop them'? I would never make an Olympic athlete with or without asthma because I am shite at most sports, though I'd normally be able to do exercise properly, but sometimes all this makes me feel like I'm just making excuses and should be out there exercising hard, and if they can win medals then I ought to be able to manage a session at the gym. I know exercise is good for asthmatics and I'm trying, but it's something I'm finding hard to work out at the moment.
I hope this doesn't sound sour - I am genuinely pleased for them and for anyone else who can eg run a marathon with asthma (or even without it!), and I think their achievements definitely should be celebrated, but atm I've got to admit it's all making me feel a bit inadequate!
I just want to say....YAYAYAYAAYAYAYAY lol
xxx
I love & addicticted to the olympics and love seeing team GB especially when they pick up the medals. I agree with philomela it annoys me when people say asthma is only a problem if you make it because i went from being really fit & was out jogging running or cycling for at least 2 hours everyday even longer on my days off (& i loved it) then my asthma got alot worse & i was constantly struggling to breathe even getting dressed was a real struggle. Asthmatics dont use it as an excuse infact most of us probably say we are fine when we really arent Some people are born to be athleats & most of us asthmatic or not arent.
Well done so far team GB & good luck with the rest of the events
To be fair, I think it is intended as encouragement in many cases, as with Asthma UK talking about asthmatic athletes.
I guess for me, at the moment, it just feels discouraging, because I just keep seeing all these messages about how I should exercise to improve my asthma and not let it stop me, but it's quite hard to find advice on how to do it esp. without good control.
Don't want to turn this into a rant, so back on topic - go Team GB! And Sarz, do hope someday soon your asthma lets yo start doing what you enjoy again!
I love the fact that on bbc one last night they were talking about lots of memebers of team GB having asthma...I really think it has a little light at the end of the tunnel effect with some people allowing them to see that they can do anything they want if they just believe. there should be more about asthma at its ups and downs on the tv!!
I have to admit though im a little more excited about teh para olympics, now that does amaze me, there strength, stamina and perserverance (excuse my spelling) just seems like its push that little bit more!!!
Im just praying that they dont merge the two olympics in 4 years time like they are talking about!!
xxx
I've just discovered that Helen Glover, of GB rowing fame, went to my school! (Not the one in Penzance, the one in Somerset). Go Miffies!
Charlie, hadn't heard about merging - wouldn't that kind of defeat the point of Paralympics to some extent? Though they do seem to get forgotten a little so more attention would be good.
haha how weird was that for you to both be at the same school!!
and the merge was mentioned about 6 months ago now, it wasn't recent, and agreed the para'a do get forgotten about a lot which is wrong, but I think this is the only time that alothetes with disabilities can truly shine!
xxx
Yeah I know! I didn't know her, but looking at how old she is, she'd have been in the year below me so we probably were there at the same time! It was a huge school though so not surprised I didn't know her.
I know athletes generally have careers which peak when they're quite young, but it's still weird to think that someone in the year below you at school is now all over the papers for winning an Olympic gold medal... Go Helen!
Oh, and I've just found out that Peter Wilson, who won gold in the shooting, is another one - he'd have been 2 years below me. We are doing pretty well so far (I say, claiming sporting triumphs lol when I'm a couch potato - but my school is pretty sporty...)
There's a few more Olympians from the same school I believe too Philomela?
Yes, we have nine in total this time (not all GB). Don't think any current pupils are competing this time, though it has happened before (not that surprising as athletes are often young) - someone officially broke a world record at sports day once! Also quite a few former Olympians like Duncan Goodhew and Mark Foster.
I do wonder sometimes how someone like me ended up at a school which is this sporty...though there were other good things too, it's just the sport is/was so high level it tends to define the school.
Wowzer. Who else was watching this evening?!
6 golds in one day, 3 in one evening! Think you could say this has been a good day for Team GB.
I am so proud to be british today I love the olympics (my friends think too much lol) there is a better atmosphere than the last olympics i just wish i was there!!
I only got home in time to watch the second half of the 10 000 meters, but wow, it was amazing.
My lungs have been pretty well behaved recently so have been out running. I was quite proud of my 50 minute 10km but Mo Farah ran it in 27 and a halfish minutes!!!
I saw team GB play handball and the atmosphere at the copper box and in the olympic park was electric. So can imagine what it was like in the stadium after three gold medals...
The BBC showed one of the british ladies cyclists taking her ventolin before her race... I bet she has to go through a heap of paperwork and declaratons because of her asthma...
Helpline Nurses back here to answer questions or chat on WhatsApp 
Complete the cycle - inhaler recycling
London
