Next week I’m racing at the ASAs but I’m not resting or shaving. Both eyes are firmly set on the Olympics now and to rest and shave down would jeopardise my fitness for Olympics. Nothing is getting in the way of that.
For any British athlete this is the biggest occasion we will ever have the opportunity to swim in. While I would love to swim in the individual event and every day in every session, performance-wise I must focus solely on the relay because, as slim as it might be, we do have a chance of achieving something special.
In a couple of weeks we have the kitting out for the Games. Kitting out is probably one of the most exciting experiences for any athlete going to the Olympic Games. Having been to the last two Olympic Games, I know how exciting it is walking around, picking up clothes as you go, then walking away with 40-50 kilogrammes worth of kit. When you walk away with all the kit, unique to just 550 athletes, it is a proud and sweet moment.
From there we’ll board a flight to Tenerife for our final preparation camp. As it’s the final chance to do some hard training before we rest, we’ll spend 10 days there before coming back and heading to the holding camp in Edinburgh. In Edinburgh we’ll start resting and focusing on the performances we want to have in London.
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After arriving back from Florida, two and a half weeks were spent in Loughborough continuing the hard work. We created a large base to build from, which felt like a progression individually and as a unit. It was an important time for us as we started going into a racing phase of practise, using what we’d been working on in training and putting it to good use. The idea is that, come the Olympics, everything will be second nature.
Over that fortnight we had our British summertime. The sun was out, it was hot and it was also my birthday during that time. With so many birthdays spent away at training camps down the years, it was nice to be at home for this one and spend it with Claire and the family.
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| With the Princess of Monaco. |
Training then led up to a five day training camp in Canet, Southern France, before racing the Mare Nostrum tour. As soon as we left the UK the rain hit Britain but luckily didn’t follow us. Training in the heat allowed us to escape from any bugs or illnesses doing the rounds at home and put in some solid training.
We didn’t rest for the Mare Nostrum tour and went out early to ensure there was no break in training. We wanted to race under pressure, practising our race skills, which is essentially what we did.
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| Out of swimwear at a Mare Nostrum event. |
I was pleased with my performance in the 200 metre Freestyle, producing another time under 1.50 - always the benchmark, so right on target. We competed against an array of talent from across the world, including a strong Australian team who aren’t going to the Olympics. Well rested, shaved and at the top of their form, they provided good head-to-head rivalry in what was their major competition. The French are also especially strong in the men’s events and it’s always good racing against the best in the world. Unfortunately we didn’t beat them but it shows how far you are away and what needs to be worked on between now and the Games.
We then travelled to Monaco for the next leg of the tour. Having never visited Monaco before, I’d never seen anything quite like it. We opened our bedroom curtains to see £40m yachts, Ferraris, Lamborghinis: a completely different world which shows how the richest percentile can live. If you weren’t strong minded enough it could be depressing, but we were obviously there to do a job.The 200 metre Freestyle was again my best event, with another time under 1.50 achieved, and quicker than in Canet. It proved everything was moving in the right direction, leaving me pleased with my skills and race tactics. We are on track for the 6 week period before the final stages of training and the Olympic Games.
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After London I’m planning a little bike trip with Rebecca Adlington, Joanne Jackson and City of Derby coach Mel Marshall, who I used to train with at Loughborough. We’re doing a charity bike ride in Zambia: 300miles in four days. Sitting here, I think I’ve totally underestimated how hard it will be. I can’t imagine there will be many cycle paths and it’s pretty much the equivalent of cycling Loughborough to London three times in four days.
We’re hoping to raise money for Sport in Action, which helps young people in Zambia to be more aware of HIV and AIDs, and also help sufferers of those diseases. We’re also hoping to teach youngsters to swim and get them as active as possible. If we can increase their life expectancy by one day then it’s a job well done. Who knows, one smiling face might mean more to us than anything we achieve this summer.
It promises to be an enjoyable but extremely challenging experience. I think we’ll see some horrific sights, and I’m prepared for that, but we do want to make a difference and raise as much money as possible.
http://www.justgiving.com/Zambiacycle
I would just like to mention a couple of my sponsors Buymobiles.net and Wards Recycling. Both are successful Derbyshire companies who I want to thank. Results of their support will kick on in the next couple of months as we get closer to the Olympics and I am really grateful. As both are Derby County Football Club fans, it all ties together well. It’s great that they can support a local athlete and that I can reward them this summer.
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