Eastlea 'People's Millions' Trike Trail.

I woke up early this morning feeling a bit low in spirit because I hadn't slept well at all...too much on my mind. But whoever said that life was easy? My son came in and gave me a big hug and this brightened me up. I felt even better after some breakfast and a hot bath and I began to focus on my appearance at Eastlea Community School in Newham.

My transport arrived on time and as we drove along the M11 heading towards London I marvelled at the sight of the distant tower blocks of the city glimmering in the morning sunshine. It was nice to leave the dark clouds hovering above Harlow and into the sun.

We arrived at Eastlea and I was amazed to see the transformation that had happened since my last visit four years ago. The school reception area was stunning, with beautiful artwork above the entrance, and a bright, spacious interior, and best of all, totally accessible to people of all abilities. This just made my face light up, and I was humbled by the wonderful welcome I received from the Principal and the staff of the school. They took us through into the school and I when I saw the brand new amphitheatre and heard the excellent steel band playing I felt like dancing, this time not in my dreams!

It was lovely to see young people with disabilities whizzing around the play area on brand new trikes and handbikes having a great time, then my eyes caught sight of a swing especially adapted to take a wheelchair. I just had to have a go, big kid that I am, and I loved it, swinging back and forth for the first time in my life. The press and public were watching me but for a few minutes I was a little girl again lost in my own enjoyment. However, the fun ended too soon and I had to become the honoured guest again to officially open the area.

I noticed a young girl in a wheelchair, Rebecca, and I envied her because this great facility would allow her to play with her friends and enjoy the fresh air. Thankfully she will not be the little girl in the corner who was not allowed to join in like I was. I think that is why I decided to ask Rebecca to join me in unveiling the plaque because to me she is the future. Every morning when I wake up I always look for circumstances that I want, and sometimes when I can't find them I try to make them, and today as I gave my speech and looked at the faces of the young people with disabilities and their parents and teachers I wanted this so much for them. I desperately wanted them to understand that circumstances don't make us, they only reveal who we are and that's why disability should never mean inability.

The event finished with some wonderful food in the students canteen that was made by the students. It was delicious. I had to drag myself away to my transport and back to the dark clouds still hovering above Harlow.

No Pain No Gain

Training has been really hard for the past week or so and I've put in an awful lot of work. I've been to the Mark Hall track for speedwork and gym work, and in between its been out on the cycle paths of Harlow doing endurance work. It's more enjoyable to train on the road than on the track but its really the work on the track that counts because I'm a sprinter. Lately, just like a lot of other people, I've been feeling low about certain things in my life but I don't have time to dwell on them because I don't want to lose focus. I've found a different way of addressing the issues. It's true, I just can't afford the luxury of feeling sorry for myself because there are millions of people out there who are a lot worse off than I am, in Libya to give just one example. At least I haven't been caught up in Tsunami's or earthquakes or nuclear disasters like those poor people in Japan. Still, there's light at the end of the tunnel for me. This Sunday I will be doing a 10k to raise funds for St.Clare Hospice and that puts everything into perspective really.

Team Essex Ambassador Awards.

Last night I attended the awards ceremony at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Stanstead Airport where I was delighted to accept my award from Team Essex for the second successive year. I felt really proud when my name was announced and I went up onto the stage to receive my cheque. It was also great to see three residents of Harlow being honoured; Faith Pitman, Judo, James Huckle, Shooting, and myself. Harlow certainly excels when it comes to producing sporting talent.

It was a lovely event and the buffet was superb, a delicious blend of hot and cold, and I really enjoyed it. Also, there was beautiful music provided by the Essex Youth String Quartet. It was great to get dressed up and mix with some lovely, talented people.

1000 Days to the 2012 Paralympics.

On Thursday I attended a fantastic event at Mark Hall Sports College in Harlow to celebrate a 1000 days to the start of the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. There were a lot of disabled children there to try out a wide variety of sports and they all seemed to have a great time. Who knows, we might even see some of them actually participating in the Paralympics in the future. Harlow has already produced three Paralympians in Noel Thatcher, the late, great, Isobel Newstead, and myself and it would be truly fantastic if we could add a few more in the years to come.
In the evening it was back to the gym for another session on the dreaded rollers. My muscles ached after a really hard session but I basked in the afterglow in a hot bath feeling really good about myself and what I'd achieved. I'm feeling really positive about myself and feel confident that if I can remain injury free I will do really well in the coming season.
Of course, athletes have Christmas to celebrate as well and my eight year old son, Tim, has to be the centre of my attention so I'll have to take a couple of weeks off to enjoy his pleasure and excitement at the arrival of Santa in just three weeks time, not to mention having to shop for the toys to put in Santa's sack! Come the start of the year it'll be back to my routine of training 6 days a week.

Stormy Weather.

The weather has been terrible the past few weeks so getting out onto the road to train hasn't been possible. So, I took the training rollers out of my shed and had them transported to Harlow Sports Centre, along with my racing chair. Now I can just pop down there and do a session on the rollers any time I want, in the warmth! Mind you, its not an easy option because training on rollers is tougher than going out onto the road but I get a great sense of satisfaction when I finish a session, and its a vital part of my build up to the new season next year.
Today, Friday, I spoke at the launch of 'Rethink West Essex - Ethnic Minorities' at the Chinese Community Centre in Harlow. It's a charity dedicated to helping people overcome their mental problems and I was on the platform with local Labour MP, Bill Rammell. I was, as usual, very nervous before I spoke but the audience seemed to like what I said so I felt better at the end.