Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Life is a Circus.

Had a good weekend of racing over at Stoke Mandeville competing in the British Wheelchair Racing Association Grand Prix, an international meeting. Gloriously sunny weather for a Bank Holiday weekend, you'd think it was summer. My time in the 100m put me in the world's top four this year, and my 200m in the top eight - not bad for an old me -though it's early season and I'm sure the young girls will do super fast times as the season progresses. Still, it was great to meet up with all my racing friends once again, and I'm looking forward to the Swiss Championships later this month.

 On Monday, the 'We Care Group' which is one of the projects of Olympia Wafula Foundation had a trip to the circus which was visiting Harlow. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and not an animal in sight! I was told that in the 'old days' there were mainly animals made to perform in a circus, elephants, lions, tigers, horses etc, but I'm happy those days are gone because animals should be seen in their natural environment.

 It's been a week of ups and downs emotionally and I have longed for things to change. It has felt like I have no control over things but then I still know when I need to walk away. Keep walking and don't look back! Though we may get lost for a while, it's better to be lost than stranded. I am determined to grow as a person and overcome any obstacle that gets in my way!

 Today it's my birthday and Tim, my son,made my day by bringing me breakfast in bed, toast, milk and fruit. I really did feel a tear in my eye and felt really proud. He'll make the girl he meets when he's grown up one lucky girl. As I ate, I remembered the baby girl who was born in a mud hut in Western Kenya, helped into the world by several traditional midwives, the fourth born child in my family, third girl. My mum's friend Annah was a wonderful singer who sang to me in the womb and I was named after her but was later changed to Anne. My African name is Naliaka, which means; 'born during the weeding season'. My dad also named me 'Olympia' which later in my life became very prophetic. I give thanks to God and my parents for the blessed life I have had so far, and long may it continue!!

 I have received so many birthday wishes from friends and family -thank you all so much. It's a huge blessing - The more we celebrate our lives, the more there is in life to celebrate. Today, my son said  ".....it doesn't matter how old you are mum I love you". I jokingly said to him that the first hundred years are the hardest, to which he replied, "....I pray to God I will be here to help you blow out the candles". 

I am one blessed hot mama !! 

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posted by Anne-Wafula Strike @ 12:50   0 Comments

Sunday, 28 April 2013

Back on Track.

Thanks to the gorgeous weather we had last week I managed to put in some quality training though not as much as I would've liked,  but it was certainly a big improvement on recent weeks and months. I even managed a couple of long runs  on the road and it was lovely to be out in the fresh air and sunshine.

 A young boy I've been mentoring here in Harlow, Adam, took part in his second mini marathon and managed to do a PB. I was delighted for him. I can remember his mum, Karen, bringing him down to the track when he was only 9 years old and we sat him in my racing chair and his arms barely reached the push rims! It is a real blessing to watch youngsters such as Adam mature into great athletes.

 I watched the London Marathon on TV and thanked God there was no repeat of the awful events in Boston the week before. My heart really goes out to all those people whose lives were wrecked by the cowardly actions of two very evil individuals. I was upset to see one of the world's top racers, Josh Cassidy, colliding with one of the elite female athletes. I think the organizers caused both of them the race due to poor planning. If the wheelchairs had been started first then that incident could have been easily prevented. I'm sure Josh will be back next year.

 On Friday I was invited to spend time and motivate the young people and volunteers taking part in the Panathlon Challenge in Chelmsford, Essex, one of the 50 multi- sport competitions being held in 17 counties this year. I also presented the medals to these wonderful 'differently able' youngsters who really enjoyed taking part in New age curling,table cricket, boccia, and relay races that involved runners and electric and manual wheelchairs. I believe every child has the right to play and it doesn't matter about their limitations, physical or mental, there was something there they could participate in. There was so much love, passion and determination oozing from the youngsters faces that it was a joy to behold. It made me reflect and be reminded that the most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love and take it in.

  I ended my blessed Friday with a lovely meal with my very good friend. I'm sure we all have friends who bring the best out of us without even trying, and we love being in their company whether we are doing something exciting or watching the paint dry!  It was a fantastic way to start the weekend so I thank them for their great company. Life is great and we shouldn't let circumstances and society fool us into believing it's not. Sometimes being silly with a friend is the best thing and you don't always have to climb Mt.Kenya !!!





 I woke up early on Saturday to prepare for the first track meeting of this season but it got off to a bad start when my taxi failed to show and another had to be organised quickly. It's not easy to find a car big enough to take my racing and day chairs but we managed. We arrived in Stoke Mandeville on time for me to take part in the BWAA Meeting, but the weather was DIRE. Rain, wind, more rain! Such a shame because it is one of the best tracks in the UK for wheelchair racing but the wind was illegal so none of the times were any good for qualifying. I did manage 3rd in 3 races, bus as the weather worsened I decided to cut my losses and head home before my final race. Things can only get better.

 This morning I played the part of very proud mum when my son, Tim, played striker for his team, Parsloe Athletic U - 12, and scored a fantastic goal from thirty yards out that he hit so hard the pegs holding the net down jumped from their holes!!! They won 3 - 1, so very well done Tim from your very proud mum.

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posted by Anne-Wafula Strike @ 10:34   0 Comments

Saturday, 13 April 2013

Journey to Yorkshire -RIBI 88th Annual Conference

Last Saturday I took part in my first track event of the season down at Kingston Athletics Stadium. I managed wins in the 100m and 200m, and a second place in the 400m and I was pleased with my performance. It was also the launch of the WeirArcher Academy, a new initiative by David Weir and his coach Jenny Archer that aims to change young peoples lives through sport, something I can fully relate to considering how much sport has improved my own life.

 I had a busy week training and managed to do a few long road sessions as well as a couple of sessions in the gym and I'm starting to feel like a proper athlete again after a long winter break. Even after not racing in the  London 2012, I still  love and enjoy the sport too much to give up, and as long as I have the strength and energy to compete I will keep going though may be on a different level.

 On Thursday I got up early to make the journey up to Yorkshire where I had been invited to speak at the 88th Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland held in Harrogate. ( www.ribi.org ) I was to speak at the RIBI Foundation lunch. The journey was fine and I was met at York station by two Rotarians, Peter Knowles and Roger Percival, two lovely chatty blokes who gave me a whistle stop tour of York, pointing out places of interest that included the magnificent York Minster and the ancient castle. It is a truly beautiful city, steeped in history and I only wished I had more time to have a proper look around. I was told that at the Jorvik Centre you can smell the Vikings and feel the war!

 We drove through the beautiful Yorkshire countryside as we made our way to Harrogate, a town I was informed was famous for its many wells that were said to have curative powers that could heal the sick. We arrived at the well named Majestic Hotel, which amongst its many claims to fame boasts the biggest gents toilets in Europe! I said goodbye to Roger and Peter and thanked them for their kindness and company.

 Debbie and Mike Hodge (my hosts) helped me to check into the hotel, then I went to my room to freshen up, agreeing to meet them for dinner in the evening. 

 We had a lovely dinner in the hotel and were joined by  Jannine and Paul Birtwistle from Guernsey, a wonderful couple responsible for the 'End Polio Now' teddy bears. We all had a lovely time, chatting about all the excellent work done by Rotarians around the world. I really enjoyed myself.

 After breakfast with Debbie and Mike they took me across to Harrogate International Centre for registration, then we headed to the House of Friendship where there were many stalls that showcased the many projects that the Rotarians support, such as Aquabox, a charity that provides safe water for those in desperate need, the ABC Project that works in Uganda providing medical care and treatment to HIV mothers in the rural areas so their babies don't get infected, the Children's Air Ambulance that helps save and change young lives in the UK, Mercy Ships UK which changes lives in Africa by performing eye operations. One organisation that particularly caught my eye was The Wheelchair Foundation UK, a charity that gives hope, mobility and freedom to millions around the world who need a wheelchair. "Yesterday I was a maggot on the ground. Today I am a butterfly". This is called empowerment and is what I received when I got my first wheelchair. I felt very humbled as I went around the stalls and it became evident that one doesn't need to be a millionaire to support others. I have learned to give, not because I have too much but because I have known the feeling of NOT having.

 It was time for lunch and I was given the great honour of sitting on the same table as David Buchanan, John Minhinick (RIBI President 2012 - 13), and Rotary International President Sakuji Tanaka, whose theme for this year is,'Peace through service'. I had gotten a 'End Polio Now' teddy which needed a name. John Minhinick suggested  'Sakuji'.I shall be taking 'Sakuji' on all my future talks and my hope is that by the time he is 3 polio will have been eradicated from the world!

 I was called up onto the stage to speak. As usual I was really nervous but once I started talking the nerves disappeared.  I looked out at the gathered Rotarians and they filled me with joy and optimism to see so many committed people who are ready to serve others.  In the morning as I was dressing I had intended wearing a beautiful pair of high heeled shoes, blue, to match my dress, but as I wheeled across the room one fell off and I knew it was a recipe for disaster so I just wore my tatty old suede shoes that I would normally wear with jeans. When I was a young woman growing up this would have mortified me because I was so embarrassed of showing my thin polio legs and  always wanted to look good and fit in. Being  older and wiser I now  know disability doesn't come with a manual and you just get on with life and be happy. To be honest, it does not matter if the glass is half empty or half full ... I have learned to be grateful I have a glass and there is something in it. 

I had a few hours to mingle with the Rotarians before Roger and Peter drove me back to York where I got my train back into London.







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posted by Anne-Wafula Strike @ 09:47   0 Comments

Saturday, 30 March 2013

Easter Weekend.

It's been a hectic few weeks since my last entry and I've been very busy being a mum, athlete, sister, auntie and friend. My training has been severely curtailed by the freezing weather but I have managed to get on rollers and work out in the gym. The season begins in earnest in April but I'm feeling very good physically and I'm really looking forward to getting back into competition.

 Last Saturday I had the great privilege to be a guest speaker at the 'Women Mentoring Women' Conference held in London. There were lots of inspirational women present who are very successful in their own fields, such as politics, pastoral, charities and entrepreneurs. I was reminded of how bad it is to judge others as I mingled with these women whose faces were full of confidence and determination. I really enjoyed the sessions and came away knowing a lot more than I did when I arrived.

 Today, Saturday, I have just returned from spending a lovely couple of days in Oxford with my good friend. I really enjoyed myself. The world's first ever museum, The Ashmolean, was a fantastic place to visit. It is full of beautiful paintings, sculptures and historical objects. We left after my friend started feeling uncomfortable surrounded by mummies - The whole experience was amazing. Oxford is a very beautiful place and the sense of history is almost overwhelming as we wheeled through the streets full of ancient buildings.

 Life is full of surprises, at least mine is and every moment is an opportunity and we have a choice on how we live it. When we are curious, we are in love with life and one just can't fail to be reminded that genuine friendship is important to most human beings. So these few days have been about opening my heart and allowing wonderful things to flow to me - enjoying and being taught that when I let go of who I am, I become who I might be -

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posted by Anne-Wafula Strike @ 11:11   0 Comments

Wednesday, 13 March 2013

I Wanna Be Elected.

As I woke up this morning I was pondering about what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breath, to think, to enjoy, and to love and be loved. Each day I learn more about how to enjoy every minute of life, and something that really aids this process is being around positive people because at times our own light goes out but can be rekindled by a spark from the energy of others. All of us have suffered in the past but it is very important that we shouldn't allow our past to define our present and our future. Now that's what I call a philosophical start to the day!

 As usual life has been busy but I have to be honest and say I haven't been putting in the amount of training I should have done at this stage of the year. I can't blame it all on the bad weather, or the fact I sustained a neck injury that was extremely painful and debilitating and made me miss my favourite half - marathon at Silverstone the other week. However, as ever, my self will and determination will overcome all the setbacks, starting this coming Sunday when I will be competing in the annual St.Clare's Hospice 10k . As part of a prize that we donated to AbleChild Africa I did  a training session down in Kingston with the prize winners, Larissa and Leah Lockwood, and the other part of the prize, arguably the best part, was to meet with David Weir. I think they both enjoyed themselves, and I certainly enjoyed the short training session I did with the youngsters that David is training with his coach, Jenny Archer.

Another election is currently being held in Rome and the Catholic world awaits with baited breath for the baffling smoke signal to rise whitely from the Vatican,where 115 cardinals are in secret conclave casting their ballots. Is it true that religious leaders are appointed by God and politicians are elected by humans?? I would love to be a fly on the wall inside the Sistine Chapel, knowing I'd be safe from being swatted as those Cardinals in their finery concentrate on who will be next among them to wear the ring of St.Peter. Could God be preparing an African for this role ??

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posted by Anne-Wafula Strike @ 06:08   0 Comments

Sunday, 27 January 2013

International Nepal Fellowship,UK.

INF's BBC Radio 4 appeal
24 JAN 13
Anne Wafula Strike at the BBC.
ANNE WAFULA STRIKE AT THE BBC.
An appeal in aid of International Nepal Fellowship will be broadcast in the UK on BBC Radio 4 on Sunday 3 February.
The presenter of the appeal is Anne Wafula Strike (Paralympic wheelchair racer, author and sporting ambassador).  Anne is passionate about INF’s work. 
Funds raised from this appeal will provide life-changing wheelchairs to children living with cerebral palsy in Nepal.  Children with cerebral palsy in Nepal are often very isolated.  The wheelchairs will help children to be more independent and fully part of family and community life.  
Anne suffered paralysis at two years old, and had to wait 27 years for her first wheelchair. It is her hope that children living with cerebral palsy in Nepal do not have to wait as long as she did for a wheelchair. 
If you are in the UK, please do tune in to the broadcast: Sunday 3 February on BBC Radio 4 (92-95 FM, 103-105 FM, online) at 7.55am and 9.26pm.  
If you are outside of the UK, you can listen to the appeal after Sunday via the BBC Radio 4 Appeal web page.
To give to this appeal, please visit the INF donate page: click on your region, complete the online form and select ‘BBCR4 wheelchairs for children with Cerebral Palsy appeal’ from the options.
You can also hear Anne speak of her admiration for the work of INF, and why she is presenting the appeal. 

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posted by Anne-Wafula Strike @ 11:02   0 Comments

'The Sessions'.


Series: Another view

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A member of the British Polio Fellowship's view on The Sessions

None of the disabled friends of Anne Wafula Strike had ever heard of a 'sex surrogate', as described in this wonderful film – but many would like to try it
The Sessions - 2012
'I related to how Mark felt about his body' ... John Hawkes and Helen Hunt in The Sessions. Photograph: FoxSearch/Everett/Rex Features
When I heard a film had been made about sex and disability, I was worried. How could a film about a man who survived polio as a child, and who now wants to employ a "sex surrogate" to take his virginity, be anything other than gross? I was ready to cover my eyes – but I didn't need to. This is a wonderfully sensitive and beautifully acted film.
  1. The Sessions
  2. Production year: 2012
  3. Country: USA
  4. Cert (UK): 15
  5. Runtime: 95 mins
  6. Directors: Ben Lewin
  7. Cast: Adam Arkin, Annika Marks, Helen Hunt, John Hawkes, Moon Bloodgood, William H Macy, William H. Macy
  8. More on this film
  1. In My Dreams I Dance (My Story)
  2. by Anne Wafula
  4. Buy it from the Guardian bookshop
  1. Tell us what you think:Star-rate and review this book
Like Mark, who is played by John Hawkes, I contracted polio as a child. But he spends many hours in an iron lung and is near immobile, whereas I have never used one – I was born in Kenya and they didn't have them at the time – and I'm a Paralympic wheelchair racer. Nor had I ever heard of a sex surrogate. I've been asking disabled friends about it, and most of them haven't either. It's opened their eyes; some of them are saying they'd like to try it.
I could very much relate to the way Mark feels about his body. He's ashamed; at first, he can hardly bear for Cheryl (Helen Hunt) to touch him. When I was a teenager, I felt the same way: boys were starting to notice my friends, and I couldn't imagine anyone ever finding me sexy. Eventually, I just decided that I was beautiful the way I am. Mark goes through a very similar process.
There's a lovely moment when he says something like: "God must have a wicked sense of humour – he made me." I feel the same way. If you have any kind of religious belief, you learn to accept yourself – to understand that your disability is not a curse, but that God has made you in his own image.
I'd have liked to see the film look at post-polio syndrome [a condition that affects polio survivors later in life]. I have it, and many people don't even know it exists. But that's a small criticism. This is an important and educational film. I hope it will help people to understand polio better.
• Anne Wafula Strike's autobiography In My Dreams I Dance is available through the British Polio Fellowship (britishpolio.org.uk; 0800 018 0586). The Sessions is out now.

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posted by Anne-Wafula Strike @ 10:49   0 Comments