Thought For The Day – Tuesday 24th January 2023

In January 2019,  Sir Andy Murray, one of Britain’s greatest ever sportspeople, who won Wimbledon in 2013 seventy seven years after the last male British player to win the men’s tournament, thought his brilliant tennis career was at an end, as evidenced by this short clip from his emotional and tearful press conference: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-australia-46833167.  A tribute video was even played on court at that Australian Open. Sir Andy needed hip resurfacing surgery, involving having a metal hip, just to be able to walk without pain.

In January 2023, Sir Andy Murray performed brilliantly in three tennis matches at this year’s Australian Open. The second match finished at 4.a.m. Australian time, after five hours forty five minutes and, very appropriately, saw Andy Murray achieve the distinction of the most wins from two sets down in five set matches of any player. One “point” from that match typified this Murray magic.  Two sets down and two games down, including a break, the comeback began: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tvX1B_zEzI&feature=youtu.be . In an interview afterwards, Murray said he had “a big heart”.

Not only is Sir Andy Murray a role model of aspiration, resilience, commitment and emotional intelligence, he is also a role model of respect, integrity, equality and community. For example, Sir Andy has always advocates women’s sport and women’s tennis.

Sir Andy Murray’s Strength and Conditioning Coach,  Matt Little, visited TBSHS last summer. Matt’s recent wonderful book, based around Aesop’s Fable of “The Hare and Tortoise”, “The Way of the Tortoise”,  communicates how, moving forward gradually step-by-step, following a process, we can all achieve our goals, over time and with patience, humility and respect.  Matt uses numerous inspirational examples from life and sport to show that: “The race is not always to the swift”.