London 2012 - the best home coming party ever!

I joked with my friends as I left for my Big Adventure that the countdown to London2012 Olympics was simply their countdown to my return. And what a return party I had!

I was greeted at Heathrow by an army officer at immigration bought on to manage the influx of visitors who moaned about not being able to get gravy on his chips in London and asked me where I might be able to find some given I'd clearly lived here for years! Then to the open arms of my sister, Liz.

My Olympics kicked off in style with a party with my family with Alwine & Ray coming all the way from Invercargill, New Zealand for the occasion. Delightfully I had my London-nephew Desmond on my knee to watch the Opening Ceremony which was the warmest welcome I could have hoped for. The following day was spent at Victoria Park enjoying the footage of the games on the Big Screen from outside amongst the people. Disappointed by all the advertisements and large gaps in screening the footage I decided not to head back to any of the BT London Live day events. Being surrounded by friends was an absolute tonic after some weary travel in India. Thanks all for coming down - biggest of love to you all!

My foray into the Olympics was always going to be incidental after opting out of the ticket ballot on account of buying stacks of Rugby World Cup tickets last year, being unemployed and well, travelling for a year around the world.

Horseys

Over the Moon, Olympic Equestrian

My first chance to get amongst the action was with horse mad Holly who has the right connections. Holly, Harv and I went along to the Equestrian Eventing which is a delightful 5km course of 45 jumps hosted at the Greenwich Park turned beautifully into an Olympic site (well done LOCOG on that one - winning idea). Greenwich is on the south east banks of the river Thames. The park itself has a natural hill conveniently overlooking East London and you guessed it, Olympic Park. Photography from the course was really something.

Anyway back to the GG's. We were there to support the strong NZ team including my Olympic hero Mark Todd.

English Rugby Captain off season duties
as Husband of an Olympian

We got to admire the horses and the skill of the riders over high jumps and steep descents, elegant riding and partnerships only possible with man and horse. The NZ team were very strong and concluded the 3 day event with a Team Bronze medal and a 4th in the Individual. My highlights were getting a thumbs up in the warm up arena from kiwi rider Jonathan Paget, waving the flag like a maniac repeatedly, seeing Princess Zara Philips riding and the thunderous British crowd, and having our photo taken with the one and only Mark Todd - such a treat to have a 6x Olympian have his photo with you!

Holly, 6 time Olympian Mark Todd and I
Day 2 of the 3 Day Eventing

 Volleyball
I headed over to see the family to watch the first of New Zealand's Gold Medal performances of the games - in the rowing. So excited we were shouting at the Television to "STROKE, STROKE, STROKE" that 2 year old Desmond thought we were all a bit demented (but in a good way), and Amanda could hear us from the street! Over lunch I was handed a ticket and a travel card for the Volleyball over in Earls Court. Alwine, Ray and I caught action from the Gold Medal winning Russians v Tunisia. Whilst Poland bought the Football hooliganism to the sport of Volleyball when they came up against Argentina (a surprising twist on Latino support in my experience!)
No photos as I had no camera that day - a real surprise after a year of lugging it everywhere with me! 

Trampolining 

Free falling at the Trampoling

By the kindness of the heart of my dear friend Tor's little sister I found my way to Greenwich again this time to the O2 Arena for the Women's Trampoline event. You really want to be on your game and not have "the fear" as we saw the qualifiers through to the medal ceremony in the space of 2 hours. And just as we thought it would the dominant Chinese taking the Gold and Silver, the top ranking contestant coming into the finals jump fumbled and fell off the trampoline on finishing. Securing Gold for the Canadian and forcing the Chinese girl into 3rd (she had performed the rest of her jumps perfectly but fell on her final descent).

The grace these girls have is pretty incredible and they range greatly in shape, size and age for a gymnastics discipline. Really making me realise that this is a sport for anyone who doesn't have that memory of having their head stuck in the springs in a park in Te Anau. Thanks again to Katie for your generosity...I owe you big time Love!

Canadian discovering she won GOLD

Super Saturday

Now as a British resident I have been following some of the athletes here for many years and Olympic Poster boy Mo Farah and girl Jessica Ennis, have been on my twitter feed from my first day of joining 2 years ago - honestly I joined to follow Coach_Toni at the European championships when Jess dominated the tele one rainy weekend. Anywho.  Saturday was to be my first girls night on the tiles in months and when I mean months I actually mean more than a year. No talk of babies, husbands, mortgages, bad jobs just make up, me blabbing about travelling and them talking about boys whilst getting jiggy over cocktails...but I delayed it all, just a little bit more with tears ruining my make up as Jess Ennis nailed the womens Heptathalon and Mo Farah smashed the 10,000m. I was so very proud of their performance at their home games and Jess's world records (she could have been in the 110m hurdle final with her time). It made me realise just that little bit more I am more British than I ever thought I would be. 

Women's Marathon

I love a marathon - ask any of my running friends. I excel from the sidelines. I cheer like a madman and just love seeing people put their bodies through a challenge so mentally and physically Olympian. The Womens marathon was no different and with a Kiwi in it I was anxious to be there to shout as loud as I could. The day was drizzly - ideal conditions for a long run and after a failure to launch a Boris Bike I ran to the course 3km from home, just in time for the lead bunch to pass. At which I sprinted to the barriers and shouted "GO KIWI GO". As I did, Kim Smith turned her head to see me shouting like a mother on sports day and ran on. She totally saw me I am sure of it (this is the mantra of any crazed fan!). 

And she returned to East Cheap St 2 more times where I stayed put trying to be a constant for her (ever the loyal fan) and I firmly believe she picked up her pace every time she heard me on the course. Proof being when I surprised her on her loop back around and cheered her down Lower Thames St outside the Sapphire Office (my old job when I first got to London 7 years ago). 

Another at home highlight that day was seeing Andy Murray beat Roger Federer in the mens singles final at Wimbeldon...inspired by Mo Farah on his home patch. In an unpaid match was quite simply Scottish!

Was it any wonder I spent the next 3 days in hospital after the 100m winning performance from Usain Bolt. Missing most of the action on track and field as I didn't have a TV and when I got home no internet! 

Mens Marathon

Podium finishers of the London 2012
Olympic Mens Marathon

Not to be beaten by bad health I picked myself up and headed back down the road to the Mens Marathon on the last day of the Olympics. It was brilliant to see but my god it was HOT. I really felt for the runners and was not in the least surprised as some pulled out due to exhaustion. The mens race was as always so fast it was unbelievable. The atmosphere was electric as well. Plenty around me talked to me and we all comapared which events we had been to or who we admired. Olympic Spirit is alive and well and I love it!  

Nothing like Pearly King & Queen
to get an East End Party going

To cap it all off it was Victoria Park for me - the reason I moved to the East of London - with my dear friends Victoria Park, Holly & Harv for Closing Ceremony.

Sadly the sound was a bit crap so we missed alot of the great music and it was more a Brit version of Shazam amongst the mostly really drunk crowd. We had a great time singing along and seeing the fire works from the stadium (the park is just a few blocks from the Olympic Stadium).

The Olympics are now over. I had such highs and lows and am so very very proud to be a British based Kiwi. My National team netted (one of which came after drug testing for NZ's answer to Jess Ennis - Val Adams in the Shot Put) 6 Golds, 2 Silvers and 5 Bronze Medals. With or without a medal I was proud of ever Olympian and am in awe of their awesome efforts to make it to this event.

Thanks to the LOCOG team. the brilliant volunteers who kept the crowds pepped and friendly, and the British Public for getting on board.

Phenomenal!

Closing ceremony at Victoria Park