Patrick Murphy and Fair Play

Patrick Murphy, two-time Olympic bronze medallist swimmer visits CIFP Booth

Patrick Murphy, two-time Olympic bronze medallist and four-time World Champion swimmer paid a visit to the fair play pavilion. The Australian-born athlete was appointed an Athlete Role Model (ARM) for the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee, joining the impressive line-up of 38 fellow Olympians who offer support, mentoring and advice to the 3,800 young participating athletes.

When visiting the fair play booth Patrick talked about the importance of fairness.

“When I was a competitor, I always considered it important to be nice to my peers either in the swimming pool or outside. Fair play is not just about big things. Sportsmanship should be exhibited in any kind of interaction in everyday life. Fair play cannot just be taught to the youth. Educating the young generations about the values of fair play has to be an integral part of their upbringing. Parents, teachers and coaches have a key role in spreading the spirit of fairness.”

PATRICK MURPHY’S ADVICE

On what pieces of good advice he would give to the young athletes, Patrick said:

“I would encourage the young competitors to respect each other. Whenever they compete, they should not intend to beat the opponent. They must be focusing on and aiming to bring out the best in themselves. Winning a medal is not the ultimate goal. Getting involved in the spirit of Olympism, friendship and fair play forms the character and will be a cherished memory for a life.”

Take me back to Fair Play at the Youth Olympic Games.