2021 Games offer beacon of inspiration

With so many sporting and cultural happenings going by the wayside this year because of the Covid-19 restrictions, islanders have come to learn just what an important outlet and part of their lives they are, something just like hassle free travel that we have come to take for granted.

For many of the athletes hoping to take part, next year’s Games will be a shining beacon as they train in disrupted conditions with many of the usual goals and stepping stones thrown out of the window.

It has become increasingly important that Covid-19 does not continue to bring everything grinding to a halt, but is something where the risk is managed, weighed up and mitigated against.

This is why professional sport is beginning to return behind closed doors, why the lid is slowly being lifted on all the restrictions that have kept exercise strictly contained.

It is not an easy situation to negotiate, but one that has required and continues to require patience and understanding.

The return of more outdoor sport as a starting point is a hint of the normality everyone is itching to get to.

Guernsey has already lost major cultural events this year, from the Literary Festival to the traditional summer shows.

They are part of the fabric of our society, and, while it is great that so much has been done to stage things online, that can never fully replace that feeling of being together in one space for a communal experience.

It is important to remember the costs that would have already been incurred by organisers and venues, the time given up by volunteers.

There are many unknowns when it comes to looking at where the island and others will be next week, let alone next summer.

But events like the XIX NatWest International Island Games will only be all that more special because of the struggle that has gone before.