Golden Summer

Well, sadly the great summer of sport has finally come to an end and I for one am finding it difficult to get back to normal. The Olympics were great and I especially enjoyed watching the successes of Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis and Usain Bolt. However, for me it was the Paralympic Games that really thrilled and excited me. I was disappointed not to have made to the start line myself but as they say, one door closes and another opens. You know, Paralympians have an X Factor that the Olympic athletes can't even imagine - the X Factor that makes you go the extra mile. Athletes with a disability strongly affirm that its not what has been taken away from them that counts, its what you can achieve with what you have left that makes the difference. I marvelled at swimmers who had lost limbs flying through the water, and at the ferocity of wheelchair rugby. Those people are TOUGH! And who in the Olympics could match the incredible achievements of David Weir, winning FOUR Gold medals in the 800, 1500, 5,000, and the marathon, all in the space of less than a week! Absolutely incredible, and a fantastic role model for young people everywhere.

I enjoyed going into the Paralympic Village every day and meeting up with old friends from around the world, and enjoying some fantastic food. I also enjoyed watching the Games in the stadium, and thanks to my friends from Congo I had full access to the V.I.P lounge, which made me feel very special.

I also had the great privilege to be part of the team at ITV London, and had my chance to comment on the talking points of the day live on television. The view from the studio was magnificent and it was exciting to see the vast crowds of people flocking into the venues each day. I really enjoyed the experience.

Watching Dedaline race in the 100m was an emotional experience for me, and even though she finished last she achieved a lot for the millions of other disabled women in Africa who can aspire to being Paralympians themselves. Mind you, there is an awful lot to do to get more people from developing countries involved in sport because a lot of the equipment needed is so expensive, not to mention the cost of transport and training facilities. Anyway, I think London 2012 has set a very high standard and I really hope Brazil can continue the progress we have made.

The Closing Ceremony was magical and I really enjoyed it, though I did have to leave early because it was so noisy, maybe a sign my raving days are almost over! The Gamesmakers were absolutely incredible. I must personally thank David Prophet, the very patient man who drove me to the Paralympic site each day and brought me back at night. He deserves a Gold medal for all the time, effort, and enthusiasm he put in voluntarily. Thank you David.

Thank you also to the IPC for my certificate and silver medal marking my participation in London 2012.

Harlow Athletics Club.

I had a good push yesterday and did a solid 10k. Part of my training was being filmed as part of a project which I'll write about at a later date. The hill sprints were tough but I was pleased with the way I did them.

It's interesting because I seem to be in demand these days, especially socially, but I'm having to turn invitations down because of commitments elsewhere. For example, last night I had to let down two friends because I had to go and present awards at Harlow Athletics Club.

The club has been going for many years and has produced both Olympians and Paralympians. This was their annual awards ceremony where trophies and certificates were awarded to the athletes. I was immensely impressed by one of the coaches called Ted Cole who has been keeping the club records for more than 35 years! That's what I call dedication! The night went very well and the winners were beaming at receiving their awards. I don't know how many hands I shook. The youngsters who won awards can hopefully look back on the evening as the start of hopefully long and successful careers, and the coaches who are supporting them can also feel proud that they had a positive influence.I'll never forget Terry Martin and Alan Stevens, two men who really pushed me to success. Anyway, it was a great evening and I was very proud to be there.

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.