Phew! For the first time in ages I’m sitting down, catching up on my to-do list!
SPAIN
I arrived back in the UK a week ago from a Pre World Championship Training Camp in Granada. A small team of Pistol Shooters went out and we were able to train alongside the Spain Ladies. It was intensive training as we were put under ‘competition-like’ pressure the whole time. Fitting into the Spanish way of life was different too. A typical day consisted of training in the morning from 10am-1:30pm, then lunch and siesta, with the afternoon’s training session starting at 5:30pm for a couple of hours! The siesta period I found the perfect opportunity to catch up on my email correspondence, which I would otherwise do late at night! It was just too hot to train at this time!
We trained in the finals range of the complex, which had electronic targets just like what we will be using in Munich for the World Championships. We had a day off in the middle of two three day periods, where we were able to go to the beach for the morning and into Granada to the Alhambra Palace in the late afternoon / evening. What an amazing place.
On the final day, it was just the GB Team training in the afternoon. As we were loading for one series of Rapid, I was aware of a little kafuffle in the seating area behind, but was determined to keep my focus. It must have been a great picture to see our faces as we finished, made our guns safe and turned to look behind us. As about 60 school children and their teachers had sat down to watch!
A very productive training camp, look out the Worlds!
Team England Meeting
Staying in around the Bisley area for a couple of days training was a must, as on Saturday we had a Team England meeting. Having been selected for the Commonwealth Games in India in October there are the inevitable forms to be filled in! In addition to this we had some very informative talks lead by Peter Underhill, the Manager, to prepare ourselves for the competition. I can’t wait!
VISA 2012 (27th July)
I returned home for two days. One day to catch up and the other working at Fingle Bridge Inn plus BBC Spotlight Interview, I departed from Exeter Bus Station at 4:30am bound for London. It was the ‘2 Years To Go’ milestone for the Olympics and I was asked to be a part of. I found my way to Canary Wharf, where the sixty of us athletes met. A couple of interviews later, I believe one and all were pleasantly surprised the way I was able to put myself across and promote the Sport of Shooting! And what fun!
We were then bussed to the Olympic Park, where you may have seen on television, the athletes walk over the bridge and into the Main Stadium. I was there! I was able to rub shoulders and talk with many stars, for example Chris Hoy, Sir Geoff Hurst and Boris Johnson etc! (See photos!) As well as making friends with many fellow athletes from other sports. We watched Micheal Johnson run the first steps in the stadium! Then back home to Devon, feeling inspired! What a day!
