Next Step - London 2012

As I am getting closer to the end of the year I have been reflecting on what has been probably one of the most exciting years for me yet!  12 months ago I would have never thought that I would be fighting for a spot at the London Paralympics in Cycling!   Rowing maybe, but not cycling, my, how things change in just one year.

I have a lot to be grateful for this year and a lot of people who have been helping me to attain my goals.  My husband Russ, my coaches Helen and Bob Kelly, the staff at the Victorian Institute of Sport (especially Crooksy in the gym, Arnaud on the massage table and Wendy in physio), the coaches, staff and other cyclists from the Para-cycling arm of Cycling Australia, my sponsors Morey Wickham Chartered Accountants, the kids that I race each Sunday (I learn heaps from them!) and all my friends and family – they have all been great support!  They all helped me win my two silver medals at the World Championships in September.

I have been working really hard since the Worlds in September, but it is about to get even harder!  We are heading to the pointy end of making the team and there is still a lot of work to be done.  I am very pleased with how things have been going.  I get my new trike at the end of January (fingers crossed!), I’ve dropped 7.5 kilos (with 2.5 to go), my leg strength has increased and my average cycling speed has also gone up.  Every small detail is being taken into account and I am learning more and more about how to train smart and race fast.

Even the really hard training sessions I try to enjoy, because little by little, day by day, I can constantly see the improvements.  Even when I am tired and I think that times are tough, I try to use my frustration as a catalyst for making improvements because everything is important.  I make myself persist and I know that the small actions will lead to big results.

I’ve also learned to acknowledge my strengths…this has given me an inner confidence, instead of constantly thinking about my weaknesses and I honestly believe that this has helped me during my hard weeks of training.  Harry Truman once said “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”  So I will continue to improve my habits and look forward towards improving every aspect of my cycling.

So as I say goodbye to 2011, I look forward to 2012 and the rewards that it may bring.  Thank you to all those people who have been a part of my life this year.  I hope you all realize that beautiful moments and possibilities are calling.  Now is the moment to focus your life on and to allow what really matters to happen.

See you in 2012!