The Butterfly Experience.

Well, I'm finally back in training after a long rest and I was a bit shocked when I had to really wriggle my bum to fit into my Racing Chair! The other guys at Mark Hall Sport Centre thought it was hilarious! The first session was so hard and I really ached afterwards but I soon got back into my routine and it feels really good to be back. The only negative thing is the awful rain we are having just now but I guess that's just one of the drawbacks of winter training. I don't even want to think about the snow and ice that will inevitably follow.

On Saturday I was off on my travels again, heading for Southport as a guest speaker at the 41st Annual District 1220 Conference of the Rotarians.The theme of the conference was 'Inspire a Generation' so appropriate especially after the buzz of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Many thanks to John and Susan Shipman for making all my travel arrangements and for being fantastic hosts for the duration of my stay. They met me at the station and we drove to the Ramada Hotel where I stayed on Saturday night. I had a beautiful view from the window of my room and it's only a shame I didn't find the time to roll along the riverbank.

After a quick shower I got dressed ready for the evening. Sue told me I would be picked from my room by 'James Bond' but when I opened my door there was only Sue standing there. I asked where 'Mr Bond' was and she told me he was holding the lift door open for me. We really laughed when I saw him in his Bond attire, gallantly waiting for us. We had a lovely time at the Reception and then had photographs taken before heading into dinner. Everyone was having a lovely time, drinking wine with their meal but I stuck firmly to my favourite, water! Afterwards everyone headed off to dance to a live band but I was so tired after my journey I declined and headed for an early night to prepare myself for my talk next day. I learnt that most of them had danced until the early hours but I don't know where they got the energy from! I only dance in my dreams.

On Sunday morning, after breakfast, I headed to the Southport Theatre to prepare myself for the talk ahead. I really enjoyed listening to some of the other speakers, especially Sandra Fong from Fiji, and the RIBI president,John Minhinick who spoke on the efforts of the Rotarians to eradicate polio. As I waited I worried about my power point presentation and what would I do if it failed to work. I decided I would just speak from my heart. Then it was my turn.

I have spoken in so many different places but for some reason this audience felt special.. I was nervous as I went on stage and started  showing my video. After that I started my  power point and the first slide has a quote,'Isn't life a beautiful mystery? Every second of it'. It also has a picture of a beautiful blue butterfly. I started my talk and a butterfly flew on stage. I didn't notice it at first but as I continued my talk it landed on the podium just as I was talking about my late mother. I told the audience,'Wow! I'm loving the butterfly. Where did it come from?' The audience also sighed with amazement.  It remained on stage with me until I had finished my talk. Afterwards, a few people asked me how I had managed to control the butterfly on stage, and Sue Shipman and a few other people mentioned how strange it was that the butterfly seemed to enter at the mention of my late mother. Well, as a born again Christian I am not superstitious, but it really was one of the weirdest things that has ever happened to me in front of a live audience. Anyway, it was a beautiful experience and I really felt honoured to have been invited.

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.

Teach Your Children Well.

The temperature seems to be dropping everyday, the leaves are falling from the trees, and we will soon be back to dark mornings and afternoons. This is the time of year when training is most difficult, and a soft African like myself feels the cold more than most. The other evening on the track it felt like the tips of my fingers were about to drop off! However, as an athlete if you put in the hard work and hours in the winter, you will be flying in the summer.
I've noticed that most of my blogs are about myself but just for once I want to say something about my son. I am so proud to be a mother. I remember growing up in Kenya as a disabled female and being told by doctors that I would never be able to have children. Now I look at my son and he gives me the most joy and I feel so fulfilled. He is intelligent, kind, caring but is the most untidy boy in the world! I suppose that's true of most boys of his age. I was so proud when he recorded the fastest speed in kicking a football in the whole of his school in the Speedmark Challenge competition, 52mph! Excellent for his age. Amazingly, on the same day he took part in a Tag Rugby Tournament with other local schools and scored six tries and got numerous tags. However, my proudest moment came when he asked to be substituted so his friend could take part in the game. That is what I call real team spirit.
Finally, I would like to congratulate all those athletes who were successful in winning Team Essex Ambassador Awards for 2012. It's a great scheme and will hopefully be rewarded with good performances in London2012.

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.

A Year To Go.......

Well,it's now just under a year before the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games and I'm very excited about it. It is such a joyous thing to see disabled athletes from all over the globe coming together to compete in sport, showing the world the positive face of disability and providing inspiration to millions of others. Each individual athlete will have travelled their own individual road to London 2012, some will have had great backing and financial support, others will have battled through on their own with little or no support, but they will all share the same experience at the end of that road, with the lucky few winning medals. Like I say, I am REALLY looking forward to it.
I've been watching the debate around Oscar Pistorius with great interest because it throws up many questions. For example, now he has competed with the so called 'able bodied' athletes should he be banned from competing in disabled sport? If he is allowed to compete in both areas should the able bodied also be allowed to compete in disabled sport? What do people reading this post think? It would be good to get some feedback.
The World Championships in Daegu have been really exciting to watch and I feel very proud that the country of my birth, Kenya, is currently second to the USA in the medals table! I think that's a fantastic achievement. Mind you, I am also enjoying watching the British athletes competing and enjoyed watching Jessica Ennis win her Silver. I hate the way the media say she 'lost' the gold. She did not, she WON the Silver. I was also impressed with Louise Hazel's performance and look forward to following her next year. Good luck to all the athletes as the Championships wind down to the final few days. Each and every one of them has WORKED and SWEATED to be where they are, and they should be applauded for that, not belittled like the media loves to do to certain individuals.

Relight My Fire!

I am just back from a short time off from training to recharge my batteries after a tough season. It was great having some free time to relax with my son, Tim, and watch movies and go places without having to worry about the hustle and bustle of my training regime. It also gave me the opportunity to reflect on what has been a very good season, and I now have a clear vision about what I need to do to achieve my ambitions next year. London 2012 is just over the horizon and I really want to be part of it. It's all down to me and I intend grasping my opportunities with both hands. So, yesterday I was back in the gym training on rollers and sweating buckets. 'No pain no gain' as the saying goes, and the pain I'm in today should mean I'll gain a lot! I love it though, and wouldn't want it to be any different.
As an athlete myself I am avidly following the World Championships in Daegu and my heart really goes out to Christine Ohuruogu, Dwayne Chambers, and Usain Bolt, all disqualified from racing for false starts. All the hard work and effort they've put in to be selected all gone in a micro second. I feel it is too harsh and would like to see a return to the old rule where everyone gets a second chance. Can you imagine the furore if it happens next year at London 2012? Let's hope those that make the decisions rethink this one.
On an even more serious note, the horrific events unfolding in the Horn of Africa really upset me, all those people dying of starvation and lack of water, things we in the so called Developed world take for granted. Here in Harlow we even have special bins we put wasted food into to be recycled! So what kind of world are we living in where people are dying for a lack of food? Here in the UK they talk about the 'crisis with obesity' whilst in Africa people die as thin as stick insects! Surely there is more than enough food in the world to feed everyone? I know that the problem of drought is more difficult to solve but surely we can invest in the science needed to make things better. People in Africa don't want handouts, they want to be self sufficient and stand on their own two feet. I hope and pray a solution can be found soon to end the suffering of the starving masses.

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.

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".

Always Look On The Bright Side of Life.

I always look on the bright side of life and stay optimistic, vital if you are a person with a disability let alone a disabled athlete. Anyway, I believe that how you define yourself is how you confine yourself. Self belief is always important.

Training has been going really well, though I still feel a bit heavy and slightly overweight. That is something I will put right over the next few months as my training schedule intensifies as we get towards the new season. I'm feeling very optimistic at the moment because I did a track session on Monday and it went very well, and my roadwork continues apace.

I had to go to Hertford hospital today to have some x-rays done and it was a strange experience to see all the curves in my spine but don't you dare to call me bent.

The most exciting news has been my being re - appointed as a Team Essex Ambassador and getting another award to keep me going in the coming season. I feel very privileged and it means I can travel abroad to compete, vital if I am to get the times I need to qualify for the World Championships later this year. I'm also grateful for the opportunity to interact with young people because they are the future. A huge thank you to all those people who have shown the confidence in my ability to compete on a world stage. There is to be an Awards Ceremony at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Stanstead on Monday February 1st and I'm really looking forward to attending because it gives me an opportunity to 'glam up' and look my best. Usually I'm to be seen sweating in a tracksuit on the cycle paths of Harlow! And, on that note, I'm off on the road again for a 6 mile steady push today. I'll be back.

'Eastenders'.

I took a break from training yesterday to spend the day filming at Elstree Studios as a Supporting Artist on 'Eastenders'.This was my second appearance because I was there back in July making my debut. The whole experience is fascinating and its really strange being in 'Albert Square' after seeing it so often on the TV. Many years ago, back in Kenya, I can remember watching 'Carry On Camping' on video and Barbara Windsor had a wardrobe malfunction involving her undergarments so it was incredible to be actually in a scene with her yesterday. She even gave me a lovely smile and a wink and I felt really special. I won't give away the storyline but I can say it took ages to get the shot right and I didn't mind at all because I just was enjoying seeing the people I've watched myself on screen. You never know, perhaps one day you'll see me sprinting round Albert Square in my racing chair!
Back to the office today with a gruelling 10 mile road push. It was great being away but it's nice to be back to normality doing what I'm also passionate about, WHEELCHAIR RACING. As I was pushing on the road today I thought to myself that self belief and determination are vital to success, and I really want to succeed in my sport and get into top shape in the 1000 days leading up to London 2012. All my thanks to Team Essex!!!