The sound of our national anthem can not fail to provoke that patriotic pride. As an athlete it was always a special moment to be on top of the podium reflecting on a winning performance. I have not had that opportunity for a couple of years but I have just experienced something equally special as I lead an incredibly successful young British team to the European Youth Olympic Festival in Tbilisi, Georgia.
A few months ago I was awarded the role of Chef De Mission for TeamGB's youth team. This was a magnificent honour as well as a serious challenge. I was expected to lead a team of seventy one including forty four athletes from the age of thirteen to seventeen through their preparation and the week of competition. We were one of the smaller delegations of the fifty participating nations, only fielding athletes for five of the nine sports on offer. However we made up for that with quality, winning a total of twenty medals and finishing an impressive seventh place on the medal table.
As a member of the British Olympic Association Athletes Commission I was qualified to apply for the role, not expecting to even be called in for an interview. On accepting the honour I must admit I was slightly daunted by the challenge. I prepared myself as best as I possibly could and expected an incredibly tough eleven days in Tbilisi. Admittedly there were numerous challenges for the team but the forward planning and efficiency of TeamGB enabled the athletes to remain one hundred percent focused on the task in hand. It is only now that I can truly appreciate how much work creates a successful sporting event. I realise how spoilt I was as an athlete competing in Beijing and just how much TeamGB do behind the scenes in order to help the athletes deliver their best possible performances.
