Earlier this year I spent a few days staying at the Olympic Lodge at Stoke Mandeville, the birthplace of the Paralympics (which I wrote about in the last edition). After joining in the celebrations in Chichester for the Olympic torch relay, we decided that we just had to be part of the real thing and having been, we are all very proud to say ‘We Were There’!
We entered into a sunny world as we arrived in London the day before, our excitement building as we spotted the London 2012 signs on lamp posts, passed Harrods with big Union Jacks outside and saw the Paralympic logo on Tower Bridge! It was so hot in our apartment that we kept all the windows open; we felt as if we were in Barcelona! Turning on the television as soon as we had arrived, I was so excited to know that the next day we would actually be there!
The next morning we all set off in the van from the apartment, with all the equipment we would need for our big day. As we approached the Olympic Park, the Stadium and Orbit stood out in front of us. From the first traffic security guards all the way into the Park, we were welcomed and shown where to go. The guards at the main entrance were really friendly and moved us to a faster queue so our bigger bags could be checked.
Walking in, I couldn't believe we were actually heading towards the Stratford Gate signs we has grown to know so well from the Olympic coverage! All the paths felt so smooth and everyone was moving in a cheerful and purposeful way! We could see the Stadium in front of us and could hear the roaring crowds - an incredible sound! We headed to the Orbit as it was nearly our time to go up. The picnic tables underneath were full of families, lots of red, white and blue and the atmosphere was buzzing - the sun was beaming down and we just sat and stared in amazement!
The Orbit experience was incredible! Fantastic views around the whole Park and the recognisable skylines beyond. The crowds below looked just like ants moving about and I was happy to come back to earth after taking it all in.
By this stage, we were all ready to have some food and a rest so we headed for the Aquatics Centre where I had been reassured by email the previous week that there would be somewhere for us to go. Unfortunately, the security man we met did not seem to know anything about this, so we had to wait while he contacted various people and eventually we were met by a medical volunteer who after being shown my email, seemed to realise who we were and then took us to a special room where we were all able to relax and recover from the heat. More volunteer staff came to check on us and very kindly supplied us with snacks until the cafes opened and we could fuel ourselves up for our Swimming session. We were shown to our seats, which had a superb view of the pool. The water was so blue and the lighting made it all seem extra special. We watched the seats opposite us filling up and the commentators on the loudspeakers built up the atmosphere before the first race started. Our seats were at the end of the pool, but all the 50m races started at our end so we were able to watch all the competitors coming out and preparing. It was fascinating to see how they prepared the starting blocks and for those who had missing limbs or balance difficulties, how their helpers supported them before they dived in and became free in the water. During one race, there was a false start and we had to wait for the swimmers to restart. One swimmer had to be lifted out of the pool and carried back to her block with a massive cheer from the crowd! We were lucky to see 4 GB medals including Ellie Simmonds wining bronze. Every single one of the 15 medal ceremonies was special and we loved hearing all the different national anthems. The presentation bouquets were also significant for us, as each one included a sprig of apple mint grown in Sidlesham (where I live)!
After the session was over, Alexandra and I met GB’s Matthew Walker and got to wear the (incredibly heavy) bronze medal that we had seen him presented with earlier. Mummy was able to hold a gold medal won by a USA swimmer and Sheryl met a New Zealand silver medal winner!
As we left we could hear more loud cheers from the Stadium as David Wier won the 1500m. We took a quick visit to the shop and while we were there, the Stadium changed colour twice! We were swept out of the Park by the fast flowing river of happy people who had all shared the amazing experience of living in ‘Paralympia’ for the day and will hopefully go on to share it into the future as well!
Lizzie Baily 2012
We entered into a sunny world as we arrived in London the day before, our excitement building as we spotted the London 2012 signs on lamp posts, passed Harrods with big Union Jacks outside and saw the Paralympic logo on Tower Bridge! It was so hot in our apartment that we kept all the windows open; we felt as if we were in Barcelona! Turning on the television as soon as we had arrived, I was so excited to know that the next day we would actually be there!
The next morning we all set off in the van from the apartment, with all the equipment we would need for our big day. As we approached the Olympic Park, the Stadium and Orbit stood out in front of us. From the first traffic security guards all the way into the Park, we were welcomed and shown where to go. The guards at the main entrance were really friendly and moved us to a faster queue so our bigger bags could be checked.
Walking in, I couldn't believe we were actually heading towards the Stratford Gate signs we has grown to know so well from the Olympic coverage! All the paths felt so smooth and everyone was moving in a cheerful and purposeful way! We could see the Stadium in front of us and could hear the roaring crowds - an incredible sound! We headed to the Orbit as it was nearly our time to go up. The picnic tables underneath were full of families, lots of red, white and blue and the atmosphere was buzzing - the sun was beaming down and we just sat and stared in amazement!
The Orbit experience was incredible! Fantastic views around the whole Park and the recognisable skylines beyond. The crowds below looked just like ants moving about and I was happy to come back to earth after taking it all in.
By this stage, we were all ready to have some food and a rest so we headed for the Aquatics Centre where I had been reassured by email the previous week that there would be somewhere for us to go. Unfortunately, the security man we met did not seem to know anything about this, so we had to wait while he contacted various people and eventually we were met by a medical volunteer who after being shown my email, seemed to realise who we were and then took us to a special room where we were all able to relax and recover from the heat. More volunteer staff came to check on us and very kindly supplied us with snacks until the cafes opened and we could fuel ourselves up for our Swimming session. We were shown to our seats, which had a superb view of the pool. The water was so blue and the lighting made it all seem extra special. We watched the seats opposite us filling up and the commentators on the loudspeakers built up the atmosphere before the first race started. Our seats were at the end of the pool, but all the 50m races started at our end so we were able to watch all the competitors coming out and preparing. It was fascinating to see how they prepared the starting blocks and for those who had missing limbs or balance difficulties, how their helpers supported them before they dived in and became free in the water. During one race, there was a false start and we had to wait for the swimmers to restart. One swimmer had to be lifted out of the pool and carried back to her block with a massive cheer from the crowd! We were lucky to see 4 GB medals including Ellie Simmonds wining bronze. Every single one of the 15 medal ceremonies was special and we loved hearing all the different national anthems. The presentation bouquets were also significant for us, as each one included a sprig of apple mint grown in Sidlesham (where I live)!
After the session was over, Alexandra and I met GB’s Matthew Walker and got to wear the (incredibly heavy) bronze medal that we had seen him presented with earlier. Mummy was able to hold a gold medal won by a USA swimmer and Sheryl met a New Zealand silver medal winner!
As we left we could hear more loud cheers from the Stadium as David Wier won the 1500m. We took a quick visit to the shop and while we were there, the Stadium changed colour twice! We were swept out of the Park by the fast flowing river of happy people who had all shared the amazing experience of living in ‘Paralympia’ for the day and will hopefully go on to share it into the future as well!
Lizzie Baily 2012
