The Olympic flame burning in the London cauldron will be extinguished tomorrow evening but the past fortnight’s games have sparked off an enthusiasm for sports among television viewers.
Winston Pirotta, 36, from Mosta,has been inspired by the Olympic rowing races to rent a canoe every time he goes to the beach.
“The other day, I went all the way from Mellieħa to Comino and back,” he said, not quite willing to reveal how much time it took him. “Let’s just say it took me a bit more than the Olympians.”
He is determined to improve his timing and is considering getting his own canoe.
“But I doubt if that will get me any medals from my wife,” he joked.
Vidhi Sohdi, 32, from Sliema, said she was walking an extra kilometre on her treadmill every time she went to the gym.
“I just did six kilometres today. I was watching the Olympic rowers on screen and I kept telling myself: If they can do it, I can too,” she said.
For others, the Olympics were an incentive to start a new resolution.
Brian Busuttil, 40, from Senglea, said he had been meaning to start a training programme to mark his milestone birthday but kept postponing his plans from week to week, until the Olympics pushed him into action.
“I am now struggling with press-ups and push-ups, things I haven’t attempted since PE lessons in my secondary schooldays,” he said.
Two weeks down the line, he is already reaping results: “There’s no gold medals for me, no applause and no slow-motion clips capturing my achievements but the belly’s slowly returning to a decent size.”
The games have inspired seasoned sports people too.
Cycling champion Etienne Bonello said he watched all the events with tears in his eyes.
“For me, the Olympics are very emotional,” he admitted.
The games have helped him to keep focused. “I won’t say I have upped my training, as I am already stretched to the limit, but the drive to achieve now is even bigger.”
Fabio Spiteri, a triathlon coach, said that over this past fortnight he had been approached by six athletes to join his training programmes.
The “battle” for the “medals and honour”, he said, simply motivated everyone “big time”.
Gyms have also seen a rise in new memberships over these two weeks.
“The Olympics have inspired people who train actively to push themselves that extra mile,” Gillian Grech, fitness coordinator at Cynergi, said.
The numbers of gym membership were up slightly, although she said: “It’s hard to put your finger on the reason why people join.”
She said that she hoped the Olympic Games urged the high percentage of sedentary people in Malta to become more active.
Frank Gauci, manager at Ta’ Qali Gym, said that, despite the heatwave, his patrons did not miss out on their gym sessions, with many asking for the television screens to be permanently switched on the Olympic channels as it spurred them on.
“I myself watch the games and, after seeing those perfectly toned bodies, I think: I’d better go and work out.”
This busy period at the gym followed an unusual lull in June.
“Everybody stayed in to watch the Euros in June but, then, the minute it ended and the Olympics started, lots of people joined,” Giovanna Miravelli Bartolo, manager at Inspire, said.
But not everyone has put on their sports kit: some opted to exercise sports in a much less strenuous manner. “I was inspired to buy the London 2012 videogame,” Ian Zammit, 32, from Mosta, said.
Sitting on his couch, he will be practising his swimming, athletics, shooting, cycling and a whole lot more.
“Does this count?” he asked, tongue firmly in cheek.