2012 - The Countdown is on

I am now in South Africa at a warm weather training camp along with the rest of Team GB.   This is the first time that the elite Paralympic and able-bodied athletes have trained in parallel and it is a positive step and a credit to UK athletics. 

I am now a week into my three week training programme and the warm weather is starting to highlight all the hard work done during the winter. It is also quite a tense time because it is also the time when you discover whether what you are doing is actually working.  This morning I carried out my first time trials and it was a huge relief to see that all the hard work is really paying off as I am continuing to improve and move closer to the medal position that I want to be in....

Training in a warm weather camp is the same as being at home i.e. you don’t do any more or any less. The major difference is that you have the specialists all in one place and it is not unusual to have six people watching you train and then feeding back to your Coaches suggested changes or tweaks that could be made to improve your performance. The warm weather certainly makes speed easier - firstly because you are no longer wearing 15 layers but also your muscles and body just move easier in the sunshine.

One of the things that I have found very interesting being here with the rest of the team is that there is definitely something in the air and a real sense of urgency amongst the athletes. The excitement and anticipation felt by the nation as the Olympcis/Paralympics get closer translates into something very different amongst the people who will potentially be on the starting line later on this year!

Sophia Warner