Kate Walker - Olympics and heroes

I’m late with my posting – but I do have an excuse. I’ve been watching the Olympics.

What? Everyone who knows me  will be wondering at that statement.  Kate? Watching the Olympic Games?  When more than two months ago I declared that I was already bored with the  whole event  and I would be glad when it was over.

Well, yes, I did say that – and I meant it. I’m not a great fan of watching sports on TV and the build up to London 2012 has been pretty non stop. I was bored with all the coverage,  fed up of  the  constant talk in the media and frankly fed up  with it all before it even began.

I swore I wouldn’t watch any of the events -  I didn’t want to waste my time in front of the TV in what little bit of summer we’ve had just watching sport. But that was before Andy Murray powered his way into the finals and the prospect of a gold medal.  I was sitting in the sunlight  - and believe me, after the rain we’ve had this summer  you have to grab any little bit of sun you can get! – when I realised that the match was on, that Murray was 2 sets up . . . and I just had to go and watch. And cheer him on.

Watching this match reminded me of why I write the sort of books I do, with the sort of heroes I create.  The tennis player is out there on his own, battling for success with only his own strength and skill and intelligence  pushing him on. He’s not like a footballer or a rugby player with a team of other men  backing him up, helping him on, he stands or falls by his own decisions and his own determination.  That’s why once upon a time, back in  1999, I created my one and only sportsman hero – and he was a tennis player.

 I remember how it always used to be said that sportsmen didn’t make good romance heroes. Not good Presents romance heroes anyway.  It was always said that a writer would do best to avoid these types of men as heroes – they didn’t appeal, they weren’t popular with the readers.  Looking at some of the high achievers these past weeks, I wonder if that’s still true.

What do you think? Do you love sportsmen as heroes? Or do you find they  don’t work for you?  And if you’d love a sporty hero – what sport would that be? The single-minded determined tennis player?  The runner who’s the fastest man on earth? Or the dogged cyclist  who wins the Tour de France and the Olympic gold? Do you prefer team sports – or perhaps the small group who make up a rowing team  of gold medal winners?  And what about the equestrian events?  Does a man on horseback stir your excitement in the modern day n- even if he’s not a knight on a white charger?

I’d love to know. Have you been watching the Olympics ? And who do you think are the real heroes out there? What events have you most enjoyed ? And what are you looking forward to coming up?

I’ll have to leave it there – because – well, I have to admit that I’m going back to watch another Olympic event. You see there’s the Mixed Doubles tennis match on now and I have to see who wins that . . .

You can read all about Kate Walker's books on her web site and her most up to date news can be found on her personal blog