My indoor competition season has begun and I am back in full swing!  My coach, Keith, and I agreed that whilst I was still building up my strength since surgery in October to remove 2 “bony lumps” that it would be best for me to do long jump and short sprints competitions but no triple jump competitions for the early part of the year.  My first competition was a small open meet at Eton where I ran a personal best time in the 60m and then long jumped my way to a jump just 1cm off of my personal best. I was very happy with this as it was my first competition and proved to me that there is much more to come. On Sunday 22^nd January, I attended the South of England Championships at Lee Valley Stadium to compete in the long jump again. I woke up that morning feeling a little worse for wear as I was coming down with the dreaded flu; however, I had to put it to the back of my mind and get into competition mode. My focus paid off as I succeeded in jumping a personal best of 5.69m winning the bronze medal which was frustratingly 2cm off 2^nd place! My most recent competition was last week, again at Lee Valley Stadium, the London Indoor Games. I competed in the long jump and got another personal best by 1cm of 5.70 and also won the competition!

So far my indoor season seems to be going well and fingers crossed it will continue. These improvements further prove that all my hard work during the winter is paying off and consequently my coach and I are looking forward to the season ahead. My next and final indoor competition will be the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) at the end of the month in Sheffield. At this meet I will be competing in my first triple jump competition so this will be very exciting and I can’t wait. This will be my last BUCS indoor competition competing for Brunel University, so hopefully it will be a good one. In May I will be competing in the outdoor BUCS where I will be amongst the first group of athletes to compete at the newly built Olympic Stadium and I am very excited about this!

Shakira

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My summer season ended with a much needed break.  Despite a niggling injury preventing me from making the big come-back I planned, I was still able to compete at the highest level nationally. The doctors found 2 re-occurring “bony lumps” which were constantly rubbing against the ligaments and when my season ended early, I had them removed.

After the necessary rehab, I am now back into the full swing of winter training. Wow, it was tough getting started, but the first few weeks always are and now I am feeling much fitter. Winter training is vital to any athlete as it is a time where we focus on building our strength and power which will be put to the test in the outdoor season.

As much as I dread track sessions, the feeling of completing one is great and a real accomplishment.  Already the improvement is noticeable as each run is usually quicker. However, with the weather finally realising that we are in November and getting colder, the outdoor sessions have seen me in gloves and long sleeve tops, but this means I work quicker to get the session over.

I have been doing sled runs, which is when a sled with weights is tied to you and you run a certain distance. It’s tough, but helps with the explosive power needed when I’m on the run up. I have also been upping my game in weights sessions where the weights are gradually getting heavier, it’s tough but this means I am getting stronger, woo hoo! I’m really enjoying training sessions right now because I know that all this hard work will be worth it when summer comes.

Having successfully graduated in July with a BSc Sports Science degree, I have returned to Brunel University to start my PGCE to become a primary school teacher. Once again Brunel has honoured me with a Scholarship which is a tremendous help to a busy athlete as myself.  Look out for me on the Brunel University website doing a spot of training with the fastest man on the planet…. Usain Bolt! What an inspirational athlete!

Being a one-year course only, it is hard work with lectures from 8.30am on some days and finishing at 6pm on others and then off to the track for training, but it’s definitely good fun and interesting. For one of my current projects I have to create a cross-curricular lesson plan across different subjects, and with the London 2012 Olympics on its’ way, as an athlete I have been able to incorporate it into my lessons!  It’s really good fun and I hope to be able to engage children in athletics and get them as excited as me ready for the upcoming Games.

Over the next few months I will continue with my winter training.  My coach and I have decided that I will concentrate on doing competitions towards the end of the indoor season ready for the outdoor summer season. This is to ensure that I am fully fit and ready and not rushing to get back on track too early.  2012 is going to be a good year

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The end of my athletics season has come around so quickly, it feels like my plaster cast was removed just the other day. I have had an enjoyable yet challenging comeback season which has included both highs and lows. The South of England Championships took place in Ashford this year and although I began the competition with a shakey start, I managed to pull out a jump and win the bronze against the top female triple jumper in the country. This was a great boost of confidence and helped show me that I still have some big jumps left in me. The rest of the season continued well with me becoming stronger and being able to jump off a full run-up again and I ended the season ranked a modest 17^th in the country which isn’t bad (although I’m aiming to be number 1!).

Another major achievement for me this year is I have now graduated with a Sports Science Degree from Brunel University! I had my graduation ceremony at the end of July and it was a lovely and exciting day. Having this degree provides me with the opportunity of starting my Primary Teaching PGCE in September which I am looking forward to.

Last week I had the absolute pleasure of meeting and interviewing double World Record holder and fastest man in the world…Usain Bolt! As a Sports Scholar at Brunel University I was invited down to film a short video promoting the excellent sporting facilities available at the uni. I had to say a short piece on my experiences at Brunel and do some filming of me triple jumping. It was great fun and I look forward to the finished product which I will upload onto this blog.

My season has now come to an end and my coach has given me some time off training to relax and mentally prepare myself for the winter training ahead. It will be tough but with the 2012 Olympics in sight, I am more motivated than ever to push myself further.  This year, CQC’s assistance has most beneficial as without them I wouldn’t have been able to afford the best physiotherapy and help to aid my recovery, I really appreciate their support THANK YOU!

Watch this space…

Shakira

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Well it’s been a long while since my last blog entry and a lot has happened since then. I have been competing, attending a filming shoot and have finished my 3 year Sports Science degree! My dissertation has been handed in, all my final exams are over and I have now completed my Sports Science degree which means I can dedicate more time and focus on my training.

A few weeks ago I was invited to do some filming for the Olympic Broadcasting Services at Shepperton Studios to provide some action shots which they could use for the opening and closing title sequences of the London 2012 Olympics. This footage can also be used by international Olympic broadcasters. It was an exciting opportunity and the first time I had done filming of this kind.

We are well into the outdoor season now and my coach and I have discussed a competition schedule which is suitable for me, it is definitely jam packed and I will be competing almost every weekend over the next two months.

 My ankle injury is healing well and I have competed in two competitions so far.  I won the Berkshire County competition, retaining my title from 2010 as Berkshire’s no. 1 Women’s Triple Jumper which is a great achievement, having just returned from injury. I need to remain injury-free if I’m to return to major competitions.  So far I have been fortunate to not feel any serious pains during training and competitions.

In the forthcoming weeks I will compete at the U23 National Championships in Bedford, the South of England Championships in Ashford and the England Senior Championships in Bedford, all of which should be exciting. I am definitely looking forward to the season ahead!

Shakira

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So I am officially back to full training again and it feels great to be back on the track and running again. My coach, physiotherapist and surgeon are all happy with my progress and everything is going according to plan. I am more determined than ever to do well in the coming season. Although the indoor season is out of the question for me due to my rehab and recovery, the outdoor season is very much on the cards and I look forward to competing more than ever. Keith is putting me through my paces during training and we can see my strength and ability improving. Right now we are looking to develop my fitness and work on my speed so I’m doing lots of ladder drills which focus on speed.

I’m starting to feel confident in my training and this is giving me the belief that I can do well not only this year but also in years to come. Whilst my overall goal this season is to qualify and compete for the U23 European Championships, I still have a long way to go and have to take gradual steps in getting to this stage. To give me an encouraging boost and put me in a stronger position of being selected, one of my aims is to be within the top 3 at the England U23 Championships, where I have medalled bronze before. Also, I would like to end the 2011 athletics season ranked within the top 10 in the country for women’s triple jump, this has happened in the past but it would be a great achievement to do it again. It will be a challenge but I am remaining positive.

I am now 4 months into my 3^rd and final year at Brunel University and wow, it has been hectic! Over Christmas, whilst enjoying the celebrations I was also knuckling down to coursework and my final dissertation project. My coach understands the importance of my university schedule so we manage to structure and plan training sessions around my academics.

As you all know my aspiration is to be part of Team GB and with the London 2012 Olympic Games rapidly approaching I refuse to be watching the competition from my television set!

Shakira

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I am now on the road to recovery after having ankle reconstruction surgery in October. I have been on crutches and in a plaster cast for 6 weeks which meant I wasn’t able to drive and hopping around uni wasn’t easy. Eventually my cast was removed 3 weeks ago and I am now back to walking normally. It feels great to be back on my feet again! Initially I was advised by my surgeon not to engage in physical activity for up to 2 weeks after cast removal, so I have been spending time in the library at uni trying to get ahead with my work before Christmas and the New Year. After meeting with my physio and coach, I now have a rehab programme which I will be following in order for me to strengthen my ankle and get my fitness back. My schedule includes cycling, swimming and jogging. So far it is going well and getting back on the track was a great feeling, I just wanted to keep running, however, I’m not allowed to put too much pressure on my foot just as yet.

If all my basic strengthening rehab continues to go to plan, I should be back in the sandpit by the beginning of January, which will be good preparation for the season ahead. My goal for the 2011 athletic season is to qualify and compete for Great Britain in the Under 23 European Championships in Czechoslovakia but that is not until July. This would be a great opportunity for me to compete on the international stage and to gain experience in preparation for future international competitions.

More immediately, I need to get fit and strong, to further my distances for more imminent competitions within the next few months.

I was extremely fortunate to be invited by CQC to the Institute of Directors Winter Sporting Lunch earlier this week where guest speakers Daley Thompson, Alec Stewart, Stuart Pearce and Howard Webb talked of their sorting experiences. The experience was very entertaining and the talks extremely motivational to an athlete such as me, especially from double Olympic gold medal medallist Daley Thompson. All four guest speakers gave the audience an insight into the highlights of their careers and I learnt that confidence and belief in yourself is vital if you want to succeed. I was even asked to sign an autograph for a director which made me feel great! I would like to thank CQC for this opportunity as it inspired me further to pursue my athletic career to the best of my ability.

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