Saturday 31 December 2011

The House of Lords v The House of Commons Charity Swim


Wishing you a very happy, healthy and successful New Year!

Unfortunately, ongoing foot and ankle injuries resulting from the accident in 2004, have put paid to water skiing this season and in an attempt to remain positive, I have focused my energies on other things.

In November I went off to London to take part in The House of Lords v The House of Commons Charity Swim.

The event raises much needed funds for the N I charity, Hope for Youth which is a cross community organisation working with children and young people bringing them together through music, drama and theatre.

As well as esteemed members of both Houses, there were quite a few celebrities taking part in the swim which was held at the Porchester Centre in south west London. I was horrified to find myself racing against the fabulous former Olympian swimmer, Duncan Goodhew, but I was over joyed when my team won the relay event!



After the swim, the Duke and Duchess of Glouster presented the medals and trophies, then we all went into the dinner and auction and a staggering £63,000 was raised for Hope for Youth!

I've also been studying to become a Mind Factor Coach. Following the swim, I went off to Manchester to do the Mind Factor Course with Karl Morris and the Mind Factor Institute. Karl, who is the leading European Mind Coach works predominately with golfers, but his teaching applies to all areas of life from sport to business, education etc.



The course was hard work, but absolutely fascinating and I am now delighted to be a certified Mind Factor Coach!



I have also been undertaking Mentoring courses and I am looking forward to working with elite athletes at the Sports Institute NI in the New Year.

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and successful New Year!

Sunday 28 August 2011

More fractures.... :-(

The last year has been a nightmare, to say the least! An ankle injury last August right before the Europeans, put me out for the rest of the year and while in recovery, I underwent two more major re-constructive surgeries, one in October and one in January.

It was fab to finally get back into training at the end of May. I was excited and really looking forward to the 2011 World Disabled Water Ski Championships, which are taking place next week in Cincinnati, Ohio. Unfortunately, while slalom training in the middle of June, I came off my ski and broke my foot !!!

We have now discovered that these recent fractures are due to severe injuries sustained in the major trauma, while training in Tampa, Florida in 2004.

I am gutted and pretty frustrated at having to miss another ski season, but the most important thing is to get the foot and ankle properly healed up and then strengthened, so as soon as I get out of the air boot I'll be able to start rehab, lucky me!!!

Friday 3 June 2011

Ambassador for Concern Worldwide

It's been a busy few months what with recovery from the latest surgery, physio and rehab for the ankle injury. I was hoping to start ski-ing again soon, but, the horrendously strong winds which we have been experiencing over the last number of weeks have put paid to any notion of that!

I was thrilled at the end of last year when I was invited to become a special Ambassador for Concern Worldwide. It's both an honour and privilege for me to work along with the other Ambassadors, who are all great women of NI.

We are hoping to raise £10,000 over the next 3 years for a Child Survival project in Burundi. Burundi which is in Central Africa, is a developing country and poverty levels are extremely high. Unfortunately, it is a fact, that as a woman in the developing world, you are more likely to be poor.

Our first fund raising event was a Fabulous Clothes Swop just a few weeks ago and we were delighted with the response and support which we received from our friends and families. The event which was held at Cayenne was a great success and to date we have raised £1,850.

It's fantastic! and all the Women of Concern are excited, but, we still have a long way to go, so we are busy planning more fund raising events for the autumn, so I'll keep you posted!

£10,000 doesn't seem like a lot, but yet it will go a long way and make such a difference to the lives of women and children in Burundi.

If you would like to know more about the work of Concern Worldwide, please look us up on:-

Link: www.concern.net

Monday 21 February 2011

Blind Ambition on Disk

The 18th January saw the launch of my autobiography, Blind Ambition on disc for the Royal National Institute for the Blind's Talking Book Library. The launch was held in Cookstown Library and attended by many of the Book Club members.
My sincerest thanks to the Belfast Ladies Club whose tireless fund raising for the RNIB, provided the funds to produce the book in Daisy format for blind readers.

Very many thanks also must go to Eamonn Holmes, who not only wrote the Foreword, but, very kindly agreed to read it onto disc.

I got the easy bit, I simply read the Acknowledgements and Epilogue sections, but, it was the RNIB volunteer reader, Ciara Chambers who expertly read the bulk of the book! Ciara also very kindly came along to the launch and read out small extracts and chatted with myself to wet the appetite of the Book Club members. My sincere appreciation to Ciara for all her hard work.

It was a lovely event and I am delighted that my book is now available for blind people to enjoy. I hope it will encourage and inspire anyone going through tough times with sight loss.

The 19th January however, was a totally different ball game!
I went back into hospital for another lengthy round of re-constructive surgery
and am now at home recovering and looking forward to getting back into routine and training in the near future.

Sunday 30 January 2011

Happiness & Sadness

I had a lovely Christmas break at home with friends and family and it all seems so far away now.

I went back into hospital on 19th Jan, for more re-constructive surgery, which is still ongoing from the accident in 2004. The good news is.....hopefully, if all goes well, this will be the last of the big operations with just minor procedures to follow. I am now at home recovering and am looking forward to finally, being able to draw a line under the past 7 years and move on with my life.

I was deeply saddened on Friday to hear of the death of my friend and fellow elite athlete, Karen Cromie. Karen, a member of the GB Wheelchair Basketball Team, changed sports to Adapted Rowing and just 2 years later, took 4th place in the Beijing Paralympics.

Karen was not only a wonderful girl and dear friend, but, was a successful and talented athlete and we will all miss her very much. Our thoughts and prayers are with Karen's family at this very sad time.