Tuesday 7 August 2012

Olympic and athlete success

The Olympics have been fantastic to watch. Competitors have been working towards their moment in the Olympics and for some it is the pinnacle of their career.Some have excelled whilst others have crumpled under the pressure. The outcome from their events will determine their profile and earning potential once the Olympics have gone.

There are a number of athletes that have caught the imagination of the world with Michael Phelps winning the most number of medals in history in the Olympics, the South African Oscar Pistorius, Usain Bolt breaking the world record in the 100 metres and so on.

One of the athletes that I cannot help but admire is Jessica Ennis. The pressure can only be imagined, a little like Jonny Wilkinson in the World Cup back in 2003 where the planned move to win the final was by a drop kick or Cathy Freeman from Australia running and taking Gold. Not only has she trained for those moments in the Olympics but the public had come to expect that she would win gold and therefore the pressure to perform on the field, work with sponsors and complete public engagements must have been both physically and mentally demanding. More so than the other athletes as this is her home patch.

However, there is an upside to the hard work and dedication and that is the earning potential that will follow her success. Millions should follow her and I truly wish her well. To become an elite athlete takes more than simple skill, but dedication and more. That is the difference between a winner and a loser. It has not been handed to her. The same could be put across to you in school and life. It is down to you to make the difference between success and failure. How do you deal with the pressures and tests in life. The benefits of winning gold. See article

Friday 3 August 2012

Largest surf contest

Having lived in Huntington Beach California since January I am getting used to the way of life, festivals and various events that happen year round. Being in the US for the 4th of July was an eye opener with all the fireworks and celebrations. Going to watch a soccer game at La Galaxy was fantastic. The US doesn't do things by halves and the latest thing to hit Huntington Beach is the US Open Surf Championships where in excess of 100 000 people a day visit the beach to watch the surfing.Along with the surfing, the organisers have created a carnival atmosphere with hospitality tents, different competitions and involvement from the local communities too. It got me thinking to how much planning has gone into this week long event. From the actual location and putting up the stands, gaining sponsorship, advertising the event. Inviting the surfers. Getting the Police and fire service on board. Recruiting staff to work the event and etc. Is the event a positive event for Huntington Beach? Some say yes, others say no. The vast majority of the no opinions is purely down to inconvenience for that week. Have a read of the article and make you own mind up.

Is it you?

Facebook has been a phenomenal success and has changed the way a lot of people interact with one another. Many of you no doubt check your Facebook pages on a daily basis, some spend hours each day reading one anthers status and putting your lives for others to see on your pages. Businesses are now expected to have a Facebook page too. Unfortunately like all good things, eventually the gloss begins to wear. When Facebook was floated on the  stock market, it made a lot of people wealthy (the ones selling the shares) and the one buying the shares saw the value of their investment in the initial stages fall. Unfortunately, the value is likely to fall again. In an article published, it has been recorded that there are 83 million extra accounts. This could be due to people having more than one account, setting up pets pages and others for sending spam.With 83 million less accounts, Facebook's advertising revenue is likely to fall which means that it is less profitable, therefore the company's market value lowers and it is less desirable for investors. For more information read the article. On the other hand the latest bright light is Linkedin and its progress would be a good company to chart. Will it go the same way as Facebook?