Planned Sports for the New Year

I have been quiet for a couple of weeks (trying to rest my knee) so thought I would update my plans for the new year. 1. Wheelchair basketball, I have a couple more hours to do and will complete that after Christmas. 2. Boccia, I finally found a local Boccia club, very excited about giving it a go. Got an email saying I can go along on the 11th January. 3. Archery, starting a 6 week beginners course in January. I aim to become Robin Hood. 4. Fencing, Steve and I have paid a deposit to do a beginners course for 6 weeks in January (Steve isn't quite a beginner as he was captain of his school club). Fencing will be knee dependent but have everything crossed I can do it. I am seeing the Consultant about my knee tomorrow so will know more about my injury then, but whatever happens I WILL complete this gold challenge. Please sponsor me for Dementia UK as I really want to run in the Olympic Stadium. My plan for Christmas is to rest up my knee and hopefully will be back at work next week after a few very dull weeks!! Merry Christmas.

Sport Number 2- Session 1. Wheelchair Basketball.

As you probably know, I have recently hurt my knee. This means that I have had to chop and change the sports I was planning on doing before Christmas. I am currently off sick from work as I am struggling to walk without a crutch but after everyone's generosity already with the sponsorship I was desperate to continue with the challenge. I had a look at the sports list and thought I should try a couple of Paralympic Sport. I contacted Swindon Shock who have a wheelchair team and they quickly got back to me and invited me to come and train with them. On Friday night I nervously went over to Swindon to do my first training session. I was absolutely bricking it. You see, I have no upper body strength and have memories of playing basketball and netball at school and remember how rubbish I was!! As I sheepishly went into the sports hall I was greeted by members of the team and told to pick myself a sports chair and strap myself in. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to maneuver in the chair and began to practice moving myself around. We then warmed up by practicing shooting. OK, I will admit that I didn't actually get any in the hoop (it's a long way up when sat down!) but got some close and I am confident that next time I will succeed. We then played a game. Even though it was a training session everyone was really competitive and felt like I was part of a 'real game'. I tried my best to get involved and managed to do some passes (and I even passed to the right team some of the time!) My proud moment was to bat the ball in the direction of a team mate who went on to score- if I was player on a PC football game it would have been an official 'assist'. I will admit that I may not be the most talented wheelchair basketball but had much fun doing my best! The session was one hour so need to do a few more sessions to get my three hours in. I was going to go back yesterday but had a bad knee pain day so felt resting it completely would be the best bet. I aim to go back this weekend to play again. I am looking at my next few (knee friendly) sports, I am trying (and failing) to find a local Boccia club (if you know of any please let me know) and am going to book on an archery course in January. I am also booked on a fencing course in January but that will be knee dependent as to whether I can do it but am keeping everything crossed. One of the basketball instructors is also involved in the Gold Challenge with some colleagues and they're doing volleyball and athletics in the New Year and has invited me along with them. It will be fab to have some company. Remember, I am doing this challenge to raise money for Dementia UK. I would be really grateful if you are able to sponsor me. Everyone has been really generous so far, and because of this I have the opportunity to raise a lot of money meaning that I will be able to make a real difference to the lives of people affected by dementia. Anyway, I will update you with my next session (with some action shots) when I have done it. Wish me luck yet again.

Next sport.....

With all the movement today with the league table and stuff I thought I better do some serious thinking about what sports I can do while I have an injured knee. I have been meaning to contact a Paralympic sport for a while so thought there's no time like the present. I emailed Swindon Shock Wheelchair Basketball Team and they very quickly got back to me and said I can go along to their training sessions. I am very nervous, especially because I have no upper body strength but have a feeling it will be lots of fun. I will go to my first session next weekend and will keep you updated on how I do. Right, I better go and look up the rules somewhere........

Stupid knee and cheery news.

Well. Things have stopped for a moment on my Gold Challenge as my knee has gone 'POP'. I turned up to work on Monday morning hobbling and my manager sent me to A&E. I got an appointment for fracture clinic Tuesday morning and spent all the morning there being X-Rayed and prodded and poked. It is not broken and I have been referred to physio and for an MRI. At the moment it is very painful and I am walking around on a crutch but I WILL complete the challenge. I may need to change a couple of sports (a half marathon is looking unlikely but sure I can do something in it's place!) but I am determined to do the challenge (I do have until July). We are currently looking at knee friendly sports I can do in the coming weeks as I am desperate to get on with it. I have been feeling really depressed about my knee today so was really chuffed to get an email from the lovely Amy at Dementia UK to tell me that I am sixth on the overall gold challenge leader board and forth on the Olympic sports leader board. This means that I am in with a big shot at being the first to do a 100metres at the Olympic stadium. I cannot tell you how much I want to do this (and I am certain my knee will be better by then) so I am going to beg you to sponsor me here. You can also click on the Dementia UK link there too- have a good look at the charity and how much of a worthy cause it is. If you do you will make a hobbling girl very happy.

Sport Number 1. Clay Pigeon Shooting.

Yesterday afternoon Steve and I had a nice drive over to the Forest of Dean to have a clay pigeon shooting lesson. I was anxious to get my first sport of the challenge over and done with, and was pleased that Steve wanted to have a go at shooting himself (even though he is a bit of a pro as he used to do it at school). We arrived at Chessgrove Shooting School and were greeting with a nice cuppa. We were taught by Lord Andrew Hollingrove a local shooting teacher and began with a couple of the slower clays. Steve got back in the swing of things quickly and was hitting them left, right and centre- it took me a bit longer but after some adjustments (and some fetching goggles with one eye blacked out) I managed to hit a few. I got a little concerned when half way through Andrew mentioned that we're going to be shooting rabbits next- and was worried I would have to say no (being a vegetarian and all I don't want to shoot any live animals!) but was relieved to find it was 'clay rabbit shooting' and we weren't going in the fields to shoot real ones (not that I would have got it on target). It turns out rabbits are harder to shoot than pigeons but think we both managed to chip one. We ended with one last go shooting clay pigeons and I was pleased to end on a high- hitting my last two. I had a great afternoon learning to clay pigeon shooting and would love to have another go in the future. Am glad to have got my challenge started and continue with table tennis on Tuesday (work permitting). Don't forget- I am doing this 20 sport Gold Challenge to help Dementia UK. If you can- please sponsor me here.

Ready to go.

I know I have been harping on about this challenge for some time, but an injured knee and a two week holiday (to Hawaii- yes I am bragging) held things up a bit. I have properly arranged my first sport- I had to rethink what sports I was starting with due to my knee, judo and taekwondo will have to wait until it is 100%. I'm at about 90% now so I have arranged to go the the local table tennis club next week to do my first session. I have also contacted the local tennis club, hopefully they'll get back to me in the next few days and I can go down this Sunday. As promised I will upload reports and pictures. Will also start getting on at you all to sponsor me once I have my first sport under my belt (but feel free to sponsor me now if you want- link on the right!) My next update will be after I have done my first session. Wish me luck!

Not quite started yet....

Well, still haven't actually started the challenge. I have got my stuff through from Dementia UK, now have a T Shirt to wear whilst doing the challenge. I was going to start with Judo on Wednesday but life (driving lesson) got in the way and I know that learning to drive is a bit of a priority at the moment. I have contacted the local taekwondo club so maybe I can start that one day next week and get going. Things have been moving on other sports though, I have found an archery beginners course to do in January and a local fencing club also do beginners courses. Hopefully the next time I post will be of definite plans of my first sport. It's all getting very real now. Eeeeek!!!

Have taken the plunge.

I decided to sort this sports challenge out today, after drunkenly telling my friends last weekend that I was going to do it I thought I better bite the bullet and do it! I have sorted out my sponsorship page, my challenge page and this blog. I have also contacted Cirencester Judo club to ask them if I can come along to a couple of weeks training with them so I can get my first sport out of the way. I go on holiday in 2 weeks time so hope to get my first sport done by then. I have emailed the club secretary so hopefully I will hear back from him very soon. Watch this space.

Welcome.

Welcome to my blog. I have started this blog to tell you how I am doing with the Olympic Gold Challenge. I have only started it up today so bare with me while I get it up to scratch and looking good. So, suppose I should tell you about the Gold Challenge and what I am doing. You can find my official Challenge Page on the right hand side of my page and you can sponsor me there. There are a number of challenges you can choose from, I chose the Sports Challenge. I will be doing 20 sports before the start of the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics. I need to do either 3 hours of coaching or a competitive event in each sport and I need to get evidence to prove I have done it. I plan to tell you about every sport I have done on here with pictures. I am doing this challenge to raise money for Dementia UK. I have recently started working as an Admiral Nurse- a role that is supported by Dementia UK which is part of the wonderful work that they do. Please look at the link on the side of the page to see what they do. Any amount you can spare to sponsor me on the challenge would be gratefully appreciated. Dementia UK works to help people affected with dementia and I would love to help them be able to do more. I will warn you, I am not a natural writer- my spelling and grammar are crap but please feel free to comment on any mistakes- I'm eager to learn!