Hello everyone I know my blog has been quiet recently, but I have been busy and keeping up with my training schedule.
I have an indoor competition at Lee Valley in April its for the Special Olympics and I am looking forward to that as it will show me what I need to work on in preparation for the world championships in the Azores in May.
I will keep you posted.
Charlotte
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Went to Salisbury for a GB training Camp day for the IAADS – Team is being selected to go to the World Games in May 2012 at the Azores.
We had to do a full training session with very specific activities like press ups, running around cones, longjump, shot put and then race the 100m, 200m 400m or 800m (fortunately I did the 400). Had a good day which came at the end of a long but very rewarding season.
On the way home Dad stopped off at Stonehenge it was my first time to see it, Mum said last time she was there you could walk around the actual stones, maybe she helped put them up!!
Looking forward to next Saturday the Toft Party!
We had an early start today. I did my longjump first, only managed 2.45 which against my pb of 2.90 was not as good as I wanted, but it was enough to secure 1st position and I got my third gold medal
My last event was the 400m, not one of my favourites and it was very hot, I really surprised myself with my time of 1.23 my previous pb was 1.39 so winning my fourth gold medal with a pb and a new world record was a very good high to end the games on.
4 Gold Medals from IAADS European Championships - Sardinia June 2011
Sardinia has been great, overall the GB team came 3rd so we got to bring home a really lovely trophy. The Italians were great hosts, gave us a brilliant competition and treated us very very well.
Had to leave before the closing ceremony to catch a flight home as I have a important appointment tomorrow but more of that later.
Today I competed in the 100m and 200m sprints. The competitions were a little unusual as we were not permitted to do down starts. This caused a lot of upset for many of the competitors who had been training and practicing this for so long. To add to the confusion all the starts were in Italian rather than the official language of the IAADS, English.
In my first event the 100m I was not used to the starts and gave the rest of the competitors a head start but managed to win in a rather slow time for me of 16.4sec. So the first national anthem played at the games was the British national anthem.
In my second event Mum stood by the start and gave me the commands in English which helped tremendously and I raced home in first place in a time of 34.8sec.
Click this link to view a video of me in the 200m race
Two races and two Gold medals – very pleased and very proud.
Thursday 2nd June 2011 Mum and I set of early for our flight to Cagliari in Sardinia for the first International Athletic Association for persons with Down Syndrome (IAADS) European Athletics Championships.
The games form part of a festival of athletics with paralymic competitions starting tomorrow (preparations for the Global Games) and the IAADS games beginning on Saturday. I am competing in the 100m, 200m, 400m and the long jump.
We were greeted at Cagliari airport by a welcoming committee of games officials and whisked through all the arrival formalities and taken to our hotel. Our hotel is very close to the athletics track and we will be able to walk to the events which will be nice.
Our friend Patricia from the British Embassy in Mexico has posted a news article on the embassy web site about the competition.
If you would like to view it here is the link to the web site:
http://ukinmexico.fco.gov.uk/es/news/?view=PressR&id=22882760
Had a restful day after the hard work of the last week. Mum and I did some shopping today to pick up some gifts for the family.
We’re both looking forward to going home now – it’s been a wonderful experience but we miss everybody.
We start our journey home tomorrow lunchtime (6.00pm UK time). We first fly to Phoenix then a quick change and onto Los Angeles where we have another quick change onto our Virgin flight to Heathrow. We arrive back in the UK at 3.50pm on Wednesday.
Can’t wait to get home and sleep in my own bed and have a nice cup of tea.
This is me with all four of my gold medals, I’m so pleased.
All four Gold medals
We had a wonderful celebration dinner to close the event. Mum and some of the other families had a little too much to drink. We enjoyed Mexican dancing in the evening then we all danced until late into the night.
Today I did the 200m and the long jump. The 200m is my favourite event and in blistering temperatures I suceeding in winning my third gold medal – in my fastest time of the season. I was pleased with that.
In the long jump, not my best event, I jumped 2.84m which is close to my personal best. The nearest girl jumped 2. 76m – so I won my fourth gold medal.
Tonight we have a celebration dinner when we will learn how the team did and the closing ceremony. It’s been a wonderful games and I’ve met so many wonderful people.
Mexico has been a wonderful country and it’s been a fantastic games.
I’m looking forward to the next one.
The 200m and Long Jump Golds
I’m so proud to have represented my country and I’m pleased that I have been able to do so well for the family and friends that have made it possible for me to get here.
My second event, the 400m – and my second Gold. This is not one of my usual events but Mum had entered me; she thought if we’d gone all the way to Mexico then I ought to compete in as many events as I can.
I have the 200m heats and finals and the long jump tomorrow – the long jump is not my best event so we’ll have to see how it goes.
I’ve been invited to competitions in Columbia and South Africa – not sure whether Mum will let me go.
