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 ??

God is Great.

I have been training with Dedeline from the Democratic Republic of  Congo and trying to improve her pushing technique. Her country have managed to get her put into the T54 100m instead of the 1500m and I am looking forward to seeing her race. I really hope I can have the opportunity to work with her again in the future because I would love to help another African woman do well in sport.

On Sunday I once again had the great privilege of speaking in St. Paul's Cathedral at the 'Courage and Faith: The Opening Service for the London 2012 Paralympic Games'. It was a lovely service and once again made me give thanks to God for giving me such great experiences. The Haiti team were there and it was lovely to see them in such grand surroundings. I also felt proud that my son was there to support me.

I am so grateful to the officials f who have managed to get me accreditation to go anywhere on the Paralympic site, a V.I.P pass, including the Paralympic Village. It was great to go there and see old friends from many different countries who I have met during the course of my racing career.

Yesterday (Wednesday) I had the immense privilege of carrying the Paralympic Torch. I was in a team of 5 representing the wonderful charity AbleChild Africa which supports disabled children in Kenya. The team was; Jane Anthony, Simiyu Barasa, Shikuku Obosi, Fred Ouko and myself. We carried the Torch from the entrance to London Zoo and were cheered on by big crowds. I was totally overwhelmed and emotional when it came to my turn to carry the torch, and couldn't help but think how far I'd come since leaving Kenya in 2000. Once again my family and friends were there to cheer me on and support me. It was a totally awesome experience and I will cherish my own torch for ever.

After carrying the torch I came home to Harlow, had something to eat, got changed, then headed back to London to appear on ITV London evening news. The Media Centre overlooks the Paralympic site and it was a wonderful experience to watch the huge crowds heading for the main stadium to watch the opening ceremony. I could have attended in person with my pass but to be honest I was on the verge of collapse after such an emotional day that I decided to travel home to Harlow to watch it all on tv with my son.

 I did enjoy the opening ceremony but thought the music being played as the countries entered the stadium was very bad. I wondered if the people who organised it have ever heard of Staff Benda Bilili, a fantastic band of polio survivors from Congo. If they had played I guarantee the whole stadium would have rocked. Perhaps they are saving them for the closing ceremony? Also, there was no humour as there had been with Mr Bean and the Queen. Why not? If anyone enjoys a laugh it's us differently able people. However, I did enjoy watching the man with no legs flying through the air. Who ever thought the disabled could fly?

Today I have been filming with Sir Matthew Pinsent for a documentary that features another Kenyan polio survivor, Alex. It was lovely to see Alex try his hand at different sports, something he has never experienced in his life in Kenya, and also seeing him interact with the members of Harlow All Ability group. It will be interesting to watch when it is aired.Watch this space.

AbleChild Africa

Training has been going well in spite of me having a cold. I have always been told it's good to sweat a cold out and I felt much better after pushing a very gentle 5k. From the middle of this year I have learnt how to spend my own life in my own way. Sometimes it feels like going back to Nursery school but it's getting better all the time. Remembering what we love is the beginning of a positive change in our lives so I'm prepared to learn anew and hopefully become a better person.

on Tuesday 8th November I was invited to speak at a fundraising dinner in the Inner Temple in London. The banqueting hall was magnificent and full of history. I felt very honoured to be there. The dinner was to raise much needed funds for AbleChild Africa, a charity that is very close to my heart because of the wonderful work they do in Africa. It's hard to believe but ;

1 in 10 children in Africa are living with a disability; this equals a staggering 52 million children!

A staggering 98% of disabled children in Africa do not attend school!

More than 80% of disabled people are living below the poverty line!

I would easily have been amongst those educational statistics if it weren't for the support of my parents, and the Salvation Army who ran the primary school I went to, Joyland. I shall never forget the encouragement and support I got from Major Chamberlain and Major Cotten. The evening was a great success.

Power to the People.

I have been watching the party conferences of Labour and the ConDems, whose marriage seems in dire need of counselling before it ends up in the divorce courts! Daddy Cameron says one thing whilst Mammy Clegg says another, and the children are all arguing amongst themselves and asking who is going to pay the university fees, and how will they be able to buy their own homes when they graduate up to their eyes in debt. Before they got married mammy was so caring and promised the children they could have free education and daddy had promised a fairer society where all the children were equal. As Oliver Hardy would say; 'That's another fine mess you've gotten us into'. As for Uncle Ed? In Kenya, where I grew up, when mammy and daddy were contradicting each other the uncle would come in to sort it out. However, growing up in Africa, I would never have had the freedom to say such things unless I had a strong desire to disappear! Thank God for Democracy.
I was very saddened last week to hear of the untimely death of the great Professor Wangari Mathai, one of the greatest African women of all time. Some called her the 'Tree Woman' because she fought to preserve the environment against an oppressive regime that used all its power to supress her but she came out on top and went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize! What a fantastic role model and I personally drew a lot of inspiration from her resillience, her motivation, her strong will, and above all her humility.Rest in Peace and may her legacy live on.
Training has been going really well and I've had a good transition into winter training, and as my coach, Mr Day, puts it,'Every little drop fills the tank'. Every training session is vital and 2012 is literally just around the corner. I am determined to build on what I have achieved this year.

Silverstone Half Marathon.

I spent my Mothers Day getting up at seven to prepare myself for the trip to Silverstone for my first competitive race of 2010. At least my husband made me breakfast before I set off, and I got two lovely cards from my son, Tim, one of which was homemade.

I usually travel on my own to competitions so it was a refreshing change to travel with the other members of Harlow Running Club in a coach and it was nice to chat to people I usually don't have the chance to talk to when I'm training. There were two of us wheelchair racers, Dean Harvey being the other one, and we were glad when we arrived and we could sort out our chairs.

I was glad when the race finally began, though I wasn't treating it as a race because I didn't feel fit enough, and I'm a sprinter. The main reason I was there was to try and raise some money for a very worthwhile cause, AbleCild Africa, a charity which supports disabled children in Africa. It's a cause very close to my heart, and as I pushed I kept thinking that no matter what I was suffering, it was nothing in comparison to the struggle those children have. I had to stop once or twice to sort out cramps in my legs but still managed to complete the race in one hour twenty five minutes, a respectable time but also one I know I can improve upon once I get back into full time training. Dean did a great time of one hour,thirty nine minutes, and he was very encouraged by the result.

So,its back to training and on monday I did a good workout on the track. Yesterday I did 10 miles on the road, and today I'm in the gym. I look forward to my first sprint races in May.

Frustration!!

The past week or so has been extremely frustrating! First of all the weather has been terrible, forcing me to be confined to the gym and the dreaded rollers. OK, so the rollers are good for improving my stamina and general fitness levels but to be honest, nothing can compare to being out on the road and putting in the miles. So, finally, yesterday, the weather was lovely so I get into my racing chair and set off to do my 10 mile push. I'm just getting into my rhythm when BANG! My back tire gets a puncture so I'm forced to get home on a flat. Then,today, a change of wheels to my old ones with the spokes and what happens? The push rim starts to come off, along with a couple of spokes! Session ended before its really begun. I could have cried but what's the point? You just put on a brave smile and get on with life.

My new tires have just arrived in the post so I'll change the punctured one and give it another go tomorrow. I have to because I'm doing a half marathon a week tomorrow at Silverstone to try and raise some much needed funds for AbleChild Africa, a charity that is very close to my heart because it helps disabled kids in Africa to reach their own personal goals in life. I WILL do it, though its a very tough course so I'm not aiming to break any records. Just finishing will be an achievement.

That apart I was very privileged on Wednesday to attend the launch of a scheme run by 'Journey to the Podium' and sponsored by Essex County Council where a group of artists were commissioned to produce works of art inspired by selected athletes. The launch was held at Colchester United's stadium and I was genuinely honoured to see the work about me from Elaine Tribley and Dr Mark Curtis of Essex County Council's Heritage and Archive teams. It was really weird to see artwork about yourself but also very nice. Elaine also produced a book called 'Olympia' about her work and about me and I was thrilled to get two copies, one of which I'm going to send to my dad in Kenya. He will be so proud! Working with Elaine has really inspired me and made me understand art a lot better.Thanks Elaine! Dr Mark also produced a lifesize picture of me and when you press a button my voice can be heard talking about myself and my sport. Amazing.Thank you Dr Mark. What made the evening more special was having my husband, Norman, and my son,Tim with me. Tim was a bit puzzled by all the attention I was getting but he loved the artwork. A really memorable evening.

Free At Last.

I managed to finally get back out onto the road again today and it felt fantastic to be out pushing long distance again. Mind you, I couldn't take my usual route because the police had cordoned part of it off for some reason so I had to find another route. Thankfully, Harlow is blessed with lots of cycle paths so it wasn't too difficult. I'm just hoping the bad weather stays away so I can get right back into my usual routine.
Last night I went to the track at Mark Hall Sports Centre and did some much needed track work. I was exhausted when I finished but had that lovely feeling of self satisfaction that I had achieved something. I'm feeling really positive about the coming season, which kicks off with a half - marathon at Silversone in March which I'll be doing to raise money and awareness for one of the charities I support, AbleChild Africa.
Talking of charities something exciting is going to happen in the next month or so. Watch this space!