#OneYearOn

This was my life one year ago. The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. It epitomised everything I loved and worked for. Two weeks of working hard supporting Team Scotland and spectating hard in Glasgow in (mostly) good weather. It was special for many reasons; the Village, the atmosphere, my first games.. but also because SO many of my best friends were there competing either for Scotland, England, Isle of Man or Wales! I didn't know which country to rep! It was quite frankly the best summer professionally and personally - I thought I had the best job in the world and was so proud of all my friends and athletes.

It was weird though. Seeing people I used to train alongside (maybe sometimes beat!) competing in Hampden, representing their country, was hard because not too long ago the Glasgow 2014 CWG were my dream. And it was on that feeling that I wrote my very first blog. I'd fallen out of love with long jump and to an extent athletics - not getting the same enjoyment when I was unable to better performances I achieved as a teenager. But I was tentatively starting on a new journey and creating a new dream ... in skeleton. It was about this time last year when I found out I was through to phase 3 of a nationwide talent search for the next skeleton star #power2podium. Further assessments loomed and if they went well the opportunity to actually try the crazy sport...

Fast-forward one year and A LOT has changed.

Let's do the good stuff first!

I MADE IT. As any of you that have read this blog before will know I was selected into the British Skeleton Talent Squad - and I'm still there after a half season on ice and three summer camps! It has been a little up and down to say the least. But I got what I wanted. The chance to be an athlete again and achieve the ultimate dream of competing at an Olympic Games. It is not an exaggeration to say that it has changed my life. Away most of winter, making that work with a full-time and often demanding job and then monthly camps in Bath throughout the summer. Training has become a priority not a luxury again. Getting injured is no longer an 'oh well I'll just get on a bike' but a real stress as losing time in a brand new sport is just not an option. But all in all it is going great; yesterday (Saturday) marked the end of the first full week of training that I have been able to complete since probably before Christmas (due to injuries and being on season). And it hurt. But in a great way!! We are in a heavy strength phase so it is gym 3-4 times a week plus sprints, core, the basics and recovery. I'm not going to lie; the quads are growing and so is the ass! But I am trying to embrace it - although I am pretty upset that my brand new white jeans won't fit me in a few months (weeks??) time!! Mainly though, I am just excited to be pursuing my sporting dream once more. Being on the sidelines was fun; but if I am 100% honest it rather be on the track doing the business.

What else is going on? 

Work. Physiology. Edinburgh.
I, like many of the athletes I work with do NOT have the luxury status of full-time athlete. I remain in the job that took me to the CWG last summer; exercise physiologist for the sportscotland institute of sport. It is still my dream job; it just hasn't been quite as dreamy. It is quite common at the end of a cycle for things to change in line with reviews. So this year has been to an extent maintaining status quo and has at times been frustrating and lacking the glamour of 2014. BUT some awesome things have happened too. I went away with a sport; rowing for the first time. And then got asked back - win! The Scottish Thistles (netball) also qualified for the Netball World Cup for the first time and leave for Tasmania (they will go onto Sydney) tonight! It has been an exciting and busy time for us as a support team but I am pretty confident they are well prepared!
I have now lived in Edinburgh for a year! Where has the time gone... and sadly I only have a month or so left here as I will move out for winter when I am away sliding (money issues!). But August is my favourite month as the Edinburgh Fringe comes to town and with it lots of fun and craziness! Now I know the city better I should be able to navigate the venues better and enjoy it even more. I have tried to make the most of the city and Scotland in general the past few months; frequenting many restaurants and a Cake Festival with a new man (he ticks the boxes of my Christmas wishlist) and visiting St Andrew's and Loch Lomond. I'd hate to leave not having done some sightseeing. My dad is due another visit soon too so that's the perfect excuse to see things that I haven't yet managed to - I think the Royal Britannia is on the cards.

St. Andrew's 2015

Loch Lomond with Katie

That's me for tonight. I guess the main thing that inspired me to write about #oneyearon is that it is never too late to make a change and go for what you want. Not that I am old but 26 isn't the normal age to start a brand new sport especially when life it pretty good as it is. But I am happier for it and trying to strive for that elusive work-training balance and maybe an Olympic medal.

Life is about the journey.

Sporty and Beautiful

I read a tweet yesterday that made me really sad. Here it is... and some of the replies

It seems rather timely that just as campaigns such as UK Sport's #thisgirlcan and teams like the England Football World Cup team are making a difference towards female participation in sport we are reminded of the vast challenge that still lies ahead.

My immediate response, like those above was to blame the media. We need more female sporting role models I declared back via Twitter. But there are (at least) two ways to look at this issue. I shall look at them both...

My reply

1. Proclaim that female sportspeople are beautiful and to prove that point make a photo board. Because the claim that playing sport somehow makes you ugly (or at the very least not beautiful) is preposterous and there are plenty of examples to be seen across a wide variety of sports. The media could (and should) devote more space to women in sport. Magazines could profile successful sportswomen instead of useless reality TV stars. Exposure is one way to try to address this horrendous misconception. And if we are being shallow (and I am biased because I am an athlete) since when is being toned, having a bum and no bingo wings unattractive?!

2. Ask the question, what is beautiful anyway? And this is the wider problem. Is skinny fat the new beautiful? Having a thigh gap but poor health at it's cost. I hope not. Exercise is SO protective for health and it is so accessible. Doesn't having drive, commitment and a desire to better yourself through playing sport make you beautiful? Team work and friendships that last forever from playing sport. That is beautiful and goes further in life than a pretty face. Isn't an Olympic medal a beautiful thing? I think so. 

This young girl as she strives to be beautiful and starts to skive PE, stops running around the playground is jeopardizing her health and her happiness as she looks to conform to the media's definition of beautiful. Unrealistic women adorn magazines and men fill the sports pages. Will her self-esteem grow or diminish as she fails to look like Taylor Swift or Millie Mackintosh? And do you know what the irony is? They both exercise to look like they do. Millie to her credit (although this is a bug bear of mine) promotes healthy living through exercise and diet on her social media. But her image is achieved via money to pay for a personal trainer and expensive products, and a professional team. Sport is a far more accessible way to exercise and needs to be promoted as part of everyday life. 

This misconception that you can't play sport and be beautiful has to stop. Beauty is not only skin deep; parents and schools need to wage this war with the media because it won't change anytime soon. I remember going through phases where I disliked how my body changed because of training but the support from my family and the success I achieved soon made me realise that this was me and every part of me was better for it. For me one of my favourite things is finishing a hard training sessions or competing as part of a team; it makes me smile and feel great. The satisfaction I get from achieving goals I set is huge and I honestly don't know what I'd do without sport in my life. I realise sport at that intensity isn't for the majority and that's cool. But go and play locally or recreationally and encourage kids to take part in all sports at school; no skiving PE! There are always barriers to exercise; particularly for teenage girls but with innovative ideas, encouragement, support and team work they needn't be put off. 

The PE/school thing is so important. Exercise (so I hear) is bloody difficult to form a habit of once you're an adult. I train 5-6 times a week no bother. And people are always like 'oh my god, how do you manage that?'. It's just what I do. So start the habit young, it's much easier! And for the girls that want to stay beautiful... I know people who don't do sport or exercise and they are either moaning about being 'fat' or on a diet eating salad; they don't like their bodies and have low confidence. Me? I'm in the restaurant eating steak feeling awesome because I trained really well and having a dessert because I know I will be training the next day. And my biggest body woe is whether my abs are as good as they were x months ago. Who's the winner here? 

Said photo boards (from point 1). Apologies for the track and field bias! There are many many more!

L-R, top-bottom: Amy Williams (Skeleton), Ivet Lalova (athletics), Jess Ennis-Hill (athletics), Maria Sharapova (tennis), Emma Coburn (athletics), Alex Morgan (soccer)

L-R top to bottom: Darya Klishina (athletics), Anna Rawson (golf), England Netball Team, Katarina Johnson-Thompson (athletics)