Blood, Sweat, and Tears.

The past week has been very long as I put in all the final touches to my training programme before my races this weekend. It has also been the same week which marked one year to the London 2012 Olympics, and this is the time when all athletes who want to earn a place in the team start getting butterflies and know they have to work extra hard to earn the privilege of representing Team GB.
On Friday I couldn't sleep properly because of all the nerves that come with racing the following day. I wished a friend would call or text me and tell me to relax, and that it would all be OK. They didn't but I eventually drifted into sleep only to be harshly awoken by the strident noise of my alarm clock at 6am, an unearthly hour for me! I did my usual panic of trying to remember everything I would need, and just had time to gulp down half a bowl of porridge before my transport arrived and off we set for the journey to Stoke Mandeville. Eddie has been my regular taxi driver for long journeys for years and we joked that he would soon be made 'redundant' because I'll be driving myself as soon as my new car is ready.
Stoke Mandeville has always been special to me because it's really the place where the Paralympics was born. We have a lot to thank Dr Ludwig Guttmann for because it was his brainchild.
As I was warming up for my first race, the 100m, I looked around and breathed in fresh air by lungfulls to calm my nerves. I didn't even notice the beautiful weather we were having as I sat in my chair on the start line, hands shaking, waiting for the gun, but deep within myself I felt strong and ready for a good race. I was pleased to come second and with a good time, a season's best!
All in all it was a successful weekend, I was pleased with my performances in the 100m,400m, 200m, and 800m. It's been a great weekend but I'm glad to be back home and see my son,Tim, and I always miss my own bed when I go away.

London 2012 Storyteller

NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!
I am very pleased to have been chosen to be a BT Storyteller. With the games coming to London it's an exciting opportunity and I'm really looking forward to the challenges it will present. Please click on the link for further information and please join me on my journey as the story unfolds and for regular update.

http://www.btlondon2012.co.uk/storytellers/MeetStorytellers-Pages/STbio_120.html

Driving to Success.

It's been an eventful week for me. Training has continued to go well, despite the bad weather, and I feel happy with my progress. I feel I'm in the process of rediscovering myself in many ways and learning who Anne really is once again. In the past few weeks I've been wondering, should I let go of who I am now so I can become who I am meant to be with full potential? Time will tell.

Well, I passed my driving test and I can now cross off another of the things I want to accomplish in life. It means I can now have a lot more independance with my new found mobility and I no longer have to rely on other people. I've already been out car shopping with a good friend of mine, and I'm so glad he was there because I know next to nothing about cars, and it was good to have another pair of eyes with me.

OK,weekend, Bedford, England Athletics. Fantastic track, fantastic company but truly awful weather for athletics. I managed some wins, no good times but a win is a win. I also had a go at an 800m, not my distance really, but I have to say I enjoyed it and managed a Silver. I think its encouraged me to perhaps try the distance again at a future event.

So, there you go, it's been a fairly hectic time but I'm loving it but I know I'll be needing some time off just to relax and "let my body grow".