Turbulent Times

I'm finally back home with my family after a totally exhausting seven hour train journey from Manchester! However,' let's start at the very beginning', as Julie Andrews once famously sang.


I left Harlow on Sunday May 13 to catch my flight to Zurich from Heathrow Terminal 5. As usual the airport staff were very helpful by checking in my racing chair and wheel bag then taking me to the departure gate to board the plane. The actual flight was fine, just a little bit of turbulence, and we landed in Zurich on time. There is no telling how many miles you may have to walk, run, or fly in pursuit of your dream - just don't give up! 


The people who organise the Swiss Championships are brilliant, and transport was provided to take us to our hotel in Nottweil without us having to struggle with racing wheelchairs and luggage. They also organise transport to and from the meetings. I love racing in Switzerland because you get to compete against the world's best. You get the opportunity to train hard and occasionally enjoy the mountain views. The cycle tracks are so clean and not a bit of glass or litter in sight - I wonder, do they have yobs in Switzerland? I really enjoyed wheeling around Lake Sempachersee. Beautiful!




My first race was the Daniela Jutzeler Memorial race in Pratteln. I was really pleased with my 100m because I did a seasons best time of 17.55, but the 400m was very tough due to a strong side wind but at least it helped me to identify some technique issues that need to be addressed.


The last meeting was held at Nottwil, and I was really pleased when Chantal Petitclerc and Kelly Smith, both legends in wheelchair racing, gave me some great advice on how to improve my pushing technique. They also gave me a lot of encouragement and I felt a lot more confident after their advice, so much so that I knocked a whole six seconds off my time for the 400m from the one I got in Pratteln. My 100m was 17.70 so I feel all in all it was a successful trip.


Straight after my last Swiss race I was off to Zurich for my flight to Manchester via Heathrow to compete in the Paralympic World Cup. The flight to Heathrow was the worst I have ever had to endure. The turbulence was so bad that people were actually screaming, and the man opposite me,   began to pray . I tried to stay calm but at one point I almost phoned my little boy  to say  I loved  him ! I'm glad I didn't because the flight crew got us back on the ground safely. Thank you guys!


After a short wait at Heathrow I boarded my flight to Manchester. I had to laugh when I found it was the same crew, though I have to admit it was a bit of a nervous laugh! Anyway, there was no problem on this flight and we landed with no problems. I had my picture taken with the flight crew (see above).


I did my 100m in the Paralympic World Cup and narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing in 4th place. However I was quite pleased that I had even survived to compete at all! It is not whether you get knocked down,it's whether you get up .... I first competed in Manchester in the very first Paralympic World Cup in 2005, when I represented Kenya. I won a bronze medal in 2007, so I really wanted to do well. Anyway, I did my best.It is also in 2005 Paralympic World Cup that I first met Oscar Pistorius, and we have remained great friends.

Again, my journey back to Harlow was horrible, 7 hours and 3 changes. I finally arrived back at 10pm, totally washed out, so I'm going to have a couple of days off before I resume  training tomorrow after a one day rest. It's just great to be back home. :-)

Bolt Back to his Best.

I have really been enjoying the World Championships on Channel 4 and I think their coverage has been fantastic. I especially like the commentary of Dean Macey and it is so refreshing to hear a new voice speaking with such passion and knowledge. He has a commentating voice that can make anything interesting to watch.I look forward to hearing more from him in the future.
The highlight of today was seeing Usain Bolt cruise to victory in the men's 200m final. It was lovely to see him doing so well after his heartbreak of last week and I really laughed after the race when he had the mass of photographers moving left then right then left, really funny. He has totally transformed athletics, not only with his incredible running but also with his showmanship and sense of humour. He is also humble when he needs to be. I and I love him!
I also enjoyed seeing Christine Ohuruogu running well in the women's 400m relay after her disappointing false start last week. I hope she can continue to make progress and win a medal next year in London.
It was wonderful to see Shelley Woods win a bronze in the women's wheelchair 800m. She is going really well just now and is also looking good for London 2012. Mickey Bushell also did well in the men's 400m, especially as it's not really his event. I personally would love to see more disabled athletes getting television coverage at major events because the general public really need to see that we are just as talented and competitive as our able bodied athletes, and we work just as hard in training to achieve our successes.
Which brings me on to the shabby way I feel Oscar Pistorius was treated when being dropped from the South African relay team. Why was he dropped?I think it's very disappointing, especially after the way he ran so well to help his team reach the final.
Finally, my country of birth, Kenya, has done incredibly well to be third in the medal table, with 6 Gold, 5 Silver, and 3 Bronze. Well done to everyone concerned. Kenya is a relatively small country but Kenyans have big hearts, big lungs, and big talent.

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.