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Whether at elite level, club participation, or even as spectators- the effects of the Coronavirus lockdown have dramatically changed the lives of people who enjoy sport.

As a nation of sport lovers, physical activity has become a way many of us socialise with others, keep fit and healthy, and rid ourselves of stress.

Sport is a huge part of many of our lives. (Source: Pixabay)

For Samuel Osborne, a Junior International swimmer,  participating in sport is not just a hobby, but a large part of his life.

 

Elite Athletes are struggling to cope mentally and socially, as well as physically. (Source: Jim De Ramos)

He normally trains eight times a week , but the lockdown has meant that the City of Birmingham swimmer is losing just under 20 hours of training every seven days, and that’s affecting his fitness levels significantly.

“it will probably push me back in my training to where i was a year Ago”

– Samuel Osborne, Junior International Swimmer

Osborne’s preferred event is the 400m freestyle, the event he won gold in at the 2019 British Swimming Championships.

He has represented Great Britain in the 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival in Gyor, Hungary, but due to the outbreak, he is uncertain of when he will next compete.

” i feel like i have a lost sense of Purpose”

-Samuel Osborne, Junior International Swimmer

Even at Club level, team sports such as Football, Cricket and Basketball are almost impossible to play at home, with the lack of equipment, space and most importantly- teammates.

Team Sports are hardest hit by the UK Lockdown. (Source: Pixabay).

Director of Basketball at Stourport Spartans Basketball Club, Matthew Coles, has been attempting to combat this problem by arranging a series of activities on Whatsapp for his players to complete during the lockdown, to keep their head in the game.

With the UK lockdown being extended, leisure centres and sports facilities will remain closed for the foreseeable future, leaving many to question when their sporting habits will return to normal.

The latest Government Information regarding Covid-19 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus