I was never particularly good at PE
As my sports of choice (power kiting and skiing) are not exactly classroom material, but I did enjoy it and I always tried quite hard, despite the fact that at ages 10-13 I bore a striking resemblance to the Michelin man.

Bearing this in mind, I was very rarely chosen for demonstrations of excellence. Until one rainy day when I was about twelve and we were doing that crap "excercise circuit" thing in the gym. There was one point where we had to take a run up, leap onto a springboard, soar gracefully flail wildly through the air, grab two ropes, swing on them and drop onto a waiting mat. It looked really, really fucking difficult, so I was as amazed as my teacher when I got it perfect the first time. As I was the first person to do it properly (as in actually taking a proper, committed running jump), he stopped the circuit and asked me to demonstrate again.

The class gathered round into a semicircle as my pride levels went through the roof of the gym and took up residence somewhere on the moon. I backed up nearly the full length of the gym and began my run. I travelled faster and faster down the gym until it seemed that I didn't need the springboard to fly. I hit the jump and nailed it perfectly. I was flying! I was flying! I had missed both ropes, and the mat, and smashed face first into the floor!

But I can laugh about it now. Mostly.
( Hdjejjwsjdjjf LOOK, Thu 19 Nov 2009, 22:05, Reply)