Ski Race Anna's Blog

Thank you Rotary!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:37:00 +0000

I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Warwick Rotary Club who have sponsored my monoski costing £4700! Your support has enabled me to have world class equipment and will help me to represent Great Britain to the best of my ability on the international circuit and hopefully to qualify and get picked for the GB Paralympic team for the 2014 Sochi Paralympics in Russia.

This seasons' races start next Friday and Saturday in Snowworld in Landgraaf, Holland, a large indoor snowdome. After that, I will travel with the British Disabled Ski Team to Obergurgl then Pitztal, Austria and Lenk, Switzerland to compete on the Europa Cup circuit in my excellent new kit.

The pressure is on as Paralympic selection will depend on results this December, but training has been going well, I am looking forward to racing, fit and ready to race!

I would also like to thank Stratford upon Avon Rotary Club for their generous donation towards my training. I have now enjoyed speaking to the aforementioned clubs as well as Rotarua Rotary Club, New Zealand and last week I was stopped by a German Rotarian on the pistes! Thank you Rotarians for your interest and support.

Please see the following article from the Warwick Courier: http://www.warwickcourier.co.uk/news/local/anna-inspires-rotary-club-1-4314544

The British Disabled Ski Team was also in Sky Sports News on Monday, here is the link:
http://www.skysports.com/specialreport

Back on Snow: TV and Training

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:27:00 +0000

Just got home from a British Disabled Ski Team training camp in Hintertux, Austria with former able-bodied Team GB coach, Tony McAllister. The day before we arrived, there was 40cm of fresh snow which set us up nicely for great GS and Slalom training and media training.

Sky Sports spent the first weekend filming and doing interviews for a 30 minute piece next month - thanks Anna and Lynsey!

The BBC was also out filming GB freestyle ski team so Nick Hope also did a few interviews as well as starring in our promotional video for the clubnight - more on that later.

Paralympics GB came to check out our camp for a couple of days, fortunately before the cold snap (-35C with wind chill). It was a shock to the system after such summery weather but I wrapped up well in my excellent Icebreaker base layers and boots thanks to Two Seasons, and avoided frostbite, plus the snow was exceptional so we got some great training in.

Both Elite and Development teams trained together and I'm excited about working towards Sochi 2014 with Coach Tony.

Click on title to read article

I flew home Thursday evening to work at the Ski Show on Friday, selling raffle tickets for the Lady's Ski Club, who support female ski racers, and promoting the British Disabled Ski Team Send Off fundraiser at Aura, Mayfair friday night, which was a riot and raised over £2000 - all team goals achieved (have fun, get publicity, hotties, raise £2k for the team). A pretty successful start to the season.

My next trip is to the biggest indoor slope in Europe, Snow World in Landgraaf, Holland, for training and races and then the Europa Cup begins in December.

Summer Team Training for Sochi 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 16:55:00 +0000

Two weeks great training with the British Disabled Ski Team in Hintertux Glacier, Austria in August reaffirmed my motivation for ski racing!

It was warm and as you can see, the snow was poor, but we got good technique training in and we did lots of dry land training.

Many thanks to Hiro Taniguchi for world class coaching and expertise, I am skiing better than ever and can’t wait to race this winter - it's a big one!

I'm looking forward to working with Hiro and head coach, Tony McAllister in Hintertux in October.

This unheated pool was colder than it looks - I believe I hold the record - 15 minutes of the coldest lengths of my life!

World Cup, Europa Cup and Development Squads trained alongside and it was good to see some real potential and drive in the newer skiers.

Love the new Adidas team kit!

We were looked after superbly at the Hotel Koessler and are looking forward to going back in October.

Ski Race Anna's Blog: Paralysed Eventer Finishes Walking the London Marathon for Spinal Research!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:46:00 +0000

Ski Race Anna's Blog: Paralysed Eventer Finishes Walking the London Marathon for Spinal Research!

Paralysed Eventer Finishes Walking the London Marathon for Spinal Research!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Wed, 02 May 2012 08:30:00 +0000

Latest update: Claire has just finished! 16 days after starting the marathon with thousands of racers, Claire Lomas has made it, on crutches and robotic suit. Well done!

Thank you to everybody who has supported Claire’s courageous journey; thank you, well done and stick at it Claire!

Please support Claire on http://www.justgiving.com/Claire-Lomas - every donation helps!

Visit www.get-claire-walking.co.uk for more info and updates and follow her on twitter @claire80lomas

Even the incessant April showers cannot stop Claire Lomas, spinally injured eventer, on her quest to walk the London Marathon and raise funds for Spinal Research. Claire became paralysed from the chest down (T4) in 2007 as the result of a horse riding accident but this hasn't stopped her.

Claire uses a robotic suit, which enables her to stand up and walk. This intrepid woman has gone from taking her first steps since the accident only three months ago, to attempting the marathon! It has taken her nine days to cover the first 15 grueling miles and she is still smiling.

Claire has already raised over £86,000 for Spinal Research!

My husband and I had the pleasure of covering some of the ground with Claire on Monday as she crossed Wapping. I strapped my legs into calipers and tried to keep up with Claire but was soon exhausted, not to mention nervous, walking outdoors on an uneven surface, amidst London’s hustle and bustle. I could only manage 50 yards (the furthest I’ve ever walked outdoors).

To see video click here: http://youtu.be/O8gOkV9jEtE

Apparently overtaking me made Claire’s day, which made the drive from Warwick well worth it. We loved meeting Claire and offering moral support. Attempting to walk alongside Claire brought home quite how tough her challenge really is.

This is a physically and mentally demanding mission. Using crutches, Claire has to take a lot of pressure through her shoulders, arms and hands. On the first day she covered an exhausting 2.25 miles; imagine being in her (robot) shoes and contemplating the remaining 24 miles, knowing that most of the other competitors had finished and gone home!

Claire said “During my time in hospital I saw many people who had had their lives turned upside down - some who are unable to breath without the use of a ventilator. I have been very lucky to have a lot of support from family and friends helping me deal with this catastrophic injury- some don't have this support.

“Spinal cord injuries doesn't just mean you can't walk any more, but can also effect sensation, bowel and bladder function, circulation, temperature regulation, sexual function, bone density… A spinal injury can happen to anyone at anytime in a split second - a cure must be found!”

Claire is doing a brilliant job raising money and awareness of Spinal Cord Injury, which affects the lives of millions everyday. Claire is a hugely determined and gutsy woman, undertaking a remarkable feat for a great cause.

In quite an uncharacteristic way, much of the London traffic stopped to donate and find out more, including the London Fire Service who even posed for some photos!

Best Results Yet in Preparation for 2014 Sochi Paralympics

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:35:00 +0000

9th in the World and 4th in Europe is a nice way to finish my 4th season! I won 10 medals overall in Europe this year.

The team has been working with new coaches from Canada, Rip Pridday and Sue Greenberg and I've made huge progress, particularly in Super G.

"It is great to see how comfortable Anna is at speed... We're impressed and definitely see her as a medal contender for Sochi 2014"
Sue Greenberg, GB coach.

I took Silver and Bronze medals in the Europa Cup Finals in Auron, France in Super G and finished closer than ever before behind the World Champion in Giant Slalom, winning bronze.

Great Britain finished 8th in the 2012 European Rankings.

The best thing about this season was qualifying for World Cups in Super G, Downhill and Super Combined! My World Ranking is now 9th in Super G.

My good results are thanks to hard work with the new coaches and great training in Serre Chevalier, France, where I'm supported by the Hotel Plein Sud.

It has certainly been my most successful and enjoyable season yet! I'll be training hard this summer in preparation for racing in next year's World Cup Circuit, and aiming to qualify for the 2014 Sochi Paralympics.

Excellent Training in Serre Chevalier

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 21:37:00 +0000

I am currently preparing for the Europa Cup finals which is to be held the last week of March in Auron, France.

We have good conditions and training with Serre Chevalier Alpine Race Club, one of the top clubs in France, is fantastic! The youth racers are a great inspiration and I can already see my progress.

A huge thank you to the Hotel Plein Sud for sponsoring me, staying there is perfect and their support is hugely appreciated. I love training in Serre Chevalier!

Click on title to go to the Plein Sud website.

Rose and Crown raises £1300 for Anna's Paralympic Ski Equipment

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:26:00 +0000

The Rose and Crown is ace, I can't believe we raised £1300 towards my new monoski, we are nearly a third the way towards raising the £4500 it costs.

Last weekend's Fundraising Sunday Roast was a huge success. Thanks so much to Jez, Jonathon and the Rose team, and to everyone who came including Warwick's mayor, Trudy...

local MP Chris White

Jackie and Bryan from Advocacy Matters Charity (for whom I'm proud to be patron)

and friends and family who came from as far away as Brighton!
I really appreciate your support, without which I wouldn't have won the medals or raced in the Paralympics. The new monoski will really help my skiing and I cannot wait to order it, only just over £3000 more needed...!

The Rose chef made a beautiful Valentine's cake to raffle, and great prizes were generously donated for the silent auction including a flight over Warwick in a two seater plane, Warwick Castle tickets and Spanish lunch at Catalan.

Everyone had a ski hat to wear for Jez and Jonathon's games...

and Auntie Norma won a Diva Hair Voucher (thanks Diva!)

The Rose's renowned Roast dinner was enjoyed by all!

Manager Jez and Chris White talked about the fundraising plans with the Rose and making connections with companies and people in Warwick. I talked about my path to gold in the Sochi 2014 Winter Paralympics and how sponsors and support from friends and family have helped me achieve great results so far.

Good food and drink was followed with a fab performance from the band, a huge thank you to all involved!

First Live TV Interview!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:39:00 +0000

My husband and I featured on ITV's Lorraine Show yesterday!!!

Being live on National TV was exciting and Pete represented Serre Chevalier, France, where I train but I didn't get a chance to mention recent medals I've won or my website. So much to say, so little time!

ITV's Daybreak also wanted us but that'll be another day. This week I also featured on Channel 5 News, filmed at my sponsors Solihull David Lloyd gym - click on title to watch it as well as articles in the Daily Mail, Birmingham Mail, Coventry Telegrapgh, Stratford Herald and Warwick Courier!

I'm hoping the publicity will attract interest. My hard work training has payed off with great results (7 medals in Europe and World Cups qualification so far this year). Sadly I can't afford to race in World Cups as I get no funding and have to raise the annual £20,000 myself to continue representing GB.

I do Motivational Speaking and Workshops as well as youth work and talks in schools. If you are interested in sponsorship or speaking opportunities, please contact me through www.annaturney.com

The Rose and Crown helps fundraise for Warwick’s local Paralympic Ski Racer

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:18:00 +0000

The Rose and Crown is putting on a Fundraising Sunday Roast on 12th February to help cover the cost of Anna’s training and racing which amounts to approximately £20,000 per year as well as trying to fund a new monoski costing over £4000.

So far this season, Anna has won four Europa Cup bronze medals, competing in Slalom and Giant Slalom. She recently became qualified to compete in World Cups (the highest level). Due to lack of funding, she won't compete in World Cups this year but will train in France instead and compete in the Europa Cup Finals in March.

So join us for a dinner to help raise funds to support Anna!

Ticket Only.
£20 a ticket, for Sunday Roast and Pudding. Speak to Jonathan or Angela to book: 01926 411117
See http://www.roseandcrownwarwick.co.uk/NewsEvents.asp for more info.

Or to make a donation, go to http://annaturney.com/annaFundraising.htm

Winning Silver & Training in Serre Chevalier

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:11:00 +0000

Having won 4 bronze Europa Cup medals so far this season, I won silver yesterday in the IPCAS Super G race, behind Germany and bronze in the next race in Abtenau, Austria. I am really pleased and progressing towards gold in Sochi 2014!

The weather is warm and wet and today's Giant Slalom race was cancelled but we are hoping that it will run tomorrow, followed by two Europa Cup Slalom races.

This season I am based mostly in Serre Chevalier, France for training and head back there next week. The Hotel Plein Sud sponsors me and it is a perfect base for training. The atmosphere in the Plein Sud is second to none, the food is delicious, location ideal, there is a swimming pool, stunning views, friendly bar and I feel really well looked after, it is like home from home. Click on the title to see the website.

I will join the team for Europa Cup Downhill and Super G races in Tignes from 7th to 9th Feb... I'm really excited to be racing Downhill in Europe and with some training on the Luc Alphond in Serre Che I should be well prepared, watch this space!

I'm World Cup Qualified!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 10:26:00 +0000

The ski season has started well. In my first race in Pitztal, Austria, I finished 0.9sec off gold in Super G, winning a bronze medal and qualifying to race in World Cups (the top level).

So far I have won 4 bronze Europa Cup medals in Slalom and GS.

We spent the last week training in Serre Chevalier, and are now headed to Sestriere, Italy for Europa Cup races.

What I really mean is:

"Wow, sooo excited... can't wait for my first World Cup Race in La Molina, Spain on 31st January, bring it on!"

Back On Snow!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:23:00 +0000

The first 2 weeks in Austria has flown by, I'm loving being back on snow, training with GB teammates and the Combined Services Disabled Ski Team again.

Team dynamics have changed as we are working with new coaches from Canada, Rip and Sue and I'm confident they will lead us to medals in Sochi 2014. Three older athletes have retired, but its fun to be training alongside Tim Farr and Kelly Gallagher again as well as the military guys and new visually impaired athlete Jade Etherington.

Thanks to CSDST and their military connections (in Blue) for a moving Remembrance Day 'service' at the top of the mountain.

Snow conditions on Stubai glacier suit training but there isn't any snow in the valley. It is very strange to be enjoying the sunshine, and apart from day cancelled due to wind, training is going well.

Our Strength and Conditioning coach, Nick Ward, spent the last week with us and gym training is paying off. Swiss ball rugby turned out to be quite a perilous recovery exercise - click on 'Back on Snow' for video link. As a team, we are fit and ready to compete (and have a good laugh!). Nobody was injured in the making of this video.

This season I aim to continue to win Europa Cup podiums and become World Cup qualified. Three weeks until the first Europa Cup Race!

Skiing Funding Crisis

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:56:00 +0000

Photo by George Althaus www.georgegamedia.com

Two weeks 'til I'm back on snow, training for the Europa Cup Races in December! Can't wait although almost all funding for skiing has been cut and the funding I was hoping for hasn't materialised. I have enough money to last until Christmas but if I'm to continue ski racing I need to raise another £10,000 in the next 2 months.

At the highly informative DKH Negotiating Skills workshop last week, I learned lots of skills which should come in useful for negotiating sponsorship deals but it isn't easy.

At the beginning of the week the team met up at Bath University for our pre-season camp. It was good to catch up with the British Disabled Ski Team and Development Squad. Great training as always with Nick Ward and Team Bath coaches, as well as fitness, strength and body composition testing.

Now I just need to find the money to get out there, put in the training on snow and win more medals! Please let me know if you have any suggestions or can help.

Sporting Champions Training for Sportivate

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 08:35:00 +0000

I had another great training day last week with lots of 'Sporting Champions' for 'Sportivate', a Sport England funded programme designed to fulfil the London 2012 Legacy to inspire and motivate young people (14 to 24 year olds) to enjoy competitive sport. The ultimate goal is to encourage people to join local clubs.

Sportivate provides the opportunity for young people to try new sports and come face to face with Sporting Champions through coaching sessions. I am looking forward to working with Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Sports Partnership on Sportivate.

The training was lively and educational - everytime I go to a Sporting Champions training day I come out with heaps of educational games to store up my sleeve, you never know when you might need them! The trainers are brilliant and apparently we were a great group to train too!

Click on title to see my video clip!

Witney NCS raise £489 for Local Hospital

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 08:24:00 +0000

16 year olds from Witney National Citizens Service near Oxford organised a hugely successful fundraiser for Witney Hospital yesterday.

Everyone wore fancy dress to encourage locals to try their luck in the tombola, enjoy the face painting and crafts table, pin the tail on the donkey and be tempted by tea and cakes made by participants in the local scout hut.

We also enjoyed collecting in the town centre and a whopping £489 was raised, great effort!

The group of young people chose their community project themselves and have spent the last few weeks focussing their energy on making it work. As well as raising money, they will spend next week volunteering in the hospital.

Witney NCS Community Residential

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 08:09:00 +0000

Yesterday I joined Olympic Swimmer, Adam Whitehead at the Witney (Oxfordshire) National Citizens Service, Community Residential.

This part of the NCS is all about the young people getting stuck in, learning about teamwork and starting to think about how they can best support the local community with their Community Project.

We started the day with a drumming workshop. I am not an accomplished or confident musician, in fact I am not a musician at all and the thought of playing an instrument in front of anyone is daunting for me, but the workshop was more fun than I could have imagined and parallels to our role in society were cleverly drawn upon by the instructor.

The tents were all packed up, workshops on planning and teamwork, logo design and teeshirt painting were given.

Next week the 16 year old school leavers will get together and organise meetings to decide on and plan their Community Project. Hopefully we have given them the resources to make it happen!

I have had so much fun representing DKH Legacy Trust working on the National Citizens Service, and working with the same group and seeing their development gives me real pleasure. I can't wait to get involved with their Community Project.

Wolverhampton NCS Community Project

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 18:17:00 +0000

Wolverhampton National Citizens Service Summer of a Lifetime team change the lives of residents at Accord Housing residential care home in Tipton, building a raised flowerbed and painting the garden shed.

The team of young people from Wolverhampton started the NCS earlier this summer, spending a week together at Kinver scout camp, the next week finding out about the local community whilst staying at Wolverhampton College, learning skills and being inspired by local athletes. Tomorrow their Community Project, for which they have fundraised themselves, will be finished.

It was a pleasure to see the team getting stuck into the gardening job and chatting with residents. The team has worked together to make this project happen, a summer well spent, great job!

Oxford NCS Residential - from archery to rafting

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 07:56:00 +0000

A week long residential with a dozen teenagers in the depths of the New Forest - what could be more fun?!

Last week I found my self at the Avon Tyrrell Activity Centre, representing the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust as an athlete supporting the Oxford National Citizens Service. Most of the 16 to 24 year old school leavers have grown up in care and my job was to motivate them all to get involved with various activities and work as a team. I really wasn't sure what to expect!

I started with a brief introduction, mentioning that I'd competed in the Vancouver Paralympics, 4 years after waking up one day to be told I would never walk again after breaking my back snowboarding. Life is all about choices and if we strive to achieve goals, we give ourselves the chance of achieving them. I have been supported by an enormous amount of love and encouragement and I have no idea how I would have coped without that. A number of young people have not been so fortunate.

The first activity was archery, not my forte. Perhaps the participants gained confidence from my spectacular lack of ability although I did eventually hit the target! Then we got in canoes. Luckily I shared a boat with Tilly, one of the few participants who didn't want to capsize, but we still got drenched! Kayaking was a bit more technical and also great fun and the sun was out so we soon got dry.

A refreshing swim in the pool was followed by some raft building which were tested on the lake. The Activity Centre is wonderful and the activities were thoroughly enjoyable because all participants and volunteers got stuck in and had a go. The Oxford group proved a really nice team to work with and I look forward to getting involved with their community residential this week.

I am in the middle, precariously balanced on the raft whilst safely remaining on dry land!

Tower Hamlets Project - PAYP paralympic sports Day

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 15:12:00 +0000

Zoe Ward and her team (DiJe and Tahmina) put on a really fantastic community event yesterday at Mile End Stadium, East London. Over 140 people turned up to compete in various athletics events, from boccia, adaptive shot-put to 100m sprint and 4person team relay.

Darren Harris (former Paralympic Judo player and 2012 Goalball hopeful) and I represented the DKH Legacy Trust, encouraging participants and having the honor of presenting medals. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and brilliantly organized day.

The atmosphere was relaxed and inclusive, I was impressed at the numbers of participants am sure that everyone enjoyed the event. I even had my hand painted with henna and had a go at adaptive golf (not as easy as it sounds)!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Young Leaders never cease to amaze me with their maturity, effort and organizational skills! What a great team, supported by Simon Stevens from V, well done 2012 Young Leaders!

Community Project Unveiled by Young Leaders

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:19:00 +0000

The Young Leaders on the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust London 2012 Young Leaders Programme have been busy in the community, and I had the privilege of attending the unveiling of the Greenwich group's impressive Olympic Mural.

The project was led by Matt Hutchings and supported by the rest of the Greenwich team: Brandylene Forsom, Tolu Odusanya, Nikki Oduwunmi and a few volunteers.

The large, stunning, Olympic themed design, was painted on the mural and then the Young Leaders and Olympic Badminton star, Donna Kellogg, took it around primary schools on foot, engaging numerous local children in decorating the painting on London 2012.

Friends, family, teachers and volunteers came to support the unveiling of the spectacular mural and I spoke about the effect on the community of this project and the development I have seen in the Young Leaders. They have done a brilliant first community project and I look forward to the next projects (Including an Olympic themed photography show and 40m community run).

It is great to see the effort these young people are putting in, the results are spectacular, it goes to show that you can do anything if you set your mind to it.

NCS Community Residential ...to plan...to believe...to succeed!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 09:16:00 +0000

16 year old school leavers participating in the National Citizens Service, complete the 'Community Residential' of their Summer of a Lifetime today.

This third phase of the project involved another week away from home, getting out and helping in the community, from helping out in an Old People's Home to the Fire Service.

I spent the evening, focusing on overcoming challenges and getting involved with evening teamwork activities. We had loads of fun and I was really buzzing as I drove home!

Olympic high jumper, Brendan Reilly, also got involved through the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust. Brendan did a 20 minute talk at the beginning about Dream Goals....to plan...to believe...to succeed. They had a go at a few machines, and did a medicine ball throwing competition which went down well.

This week the young people have had a taste of working in the community and chosen and project to design and implement over the next month.

Since starting the project I have noticed a monumental change in confidence, self-belief and group dynamics, a quarter of the young people have enrolled in college courses. Brendan also spotted a couple of good athletes and is facilitating try out sessions for them in athletics.

The message at Deloitte sponsored CBI West Midlands Summer Banquet, fundraising for Local Disability Sport, was reducing inequality through education. I had the pleasure of hearing World Champion, David Moorcroft speak as well as CBI Director General, John Gridland who highlighted the worsening and educational inequalities in the UK.

Schemes like the NCS and Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust, striving to create life chances for young people, make a real difference and I am very pleased to be involved.

Everyone deserves a shot at success.

Summer of a Lifetime has Started!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:53:00 +0000

A team of 16 year old school leavers from Wolverhampton have just completed the first week of the National Citizens Service, Summer of a Lifetime.

They have just finished an action packed week at Kinver Scout Hutt, near Kidderminster, where they learned all sorts of skills including making shelters, cooking, orienteering, problem solving, leadership and teamwork.

Ten days ago, at the induction day, myself and Irish hurdler, Peter Shallow gave a presentation and helped engage the young people with various activities from designing and creating a team flag to playing football. There was a remarkable change in the confidence and group dynamics throughout the day.

Today they have started the week long 'Community Residential phase' and tomorrow I shall appear as VIP guest, give a talk, question and answer session and to be fed by the young people - eek! I can't wait to get involved again and see the progress they have made so far.

As Midlands Team Leader, I am working alongside elite athletes and v to help 'create chances for young people' and finding it hugely rewarding.

11,000 young people across the UK have the chance to get involved and it really is a great opportunity and will benefit all participants and local communities.

Over £2500 raised for Charity as Luke and Dave Reach John O'Groats!

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 19:16:00 +0000

Thank you so much to Luke and Dave for their epic cycling and to everyone who has supported them along the way.

Luke's said about the journey:
"In the end we took a really lovely route taking in some great spots like Arran, the Mull of Kintyre and the Black Isle and stopping for the wonderful hospitality of various folks and taking a lot of small roads to avoid the busy ones. Despite all that our mileage has not been significantly more than others. I think 870 is the minimum but most take nearer 1000. We took 980. It all worked out swimmingly despite no real planning. And the weather has been on our side nearly all the way, which makes a massive difference of course...
Time for a beer!"

Dave and Luke left Land's End 12 days ago...

And with some careful planning (after setting off)...

Stunning scenery...

Only one puncture...

...They have reached John O'Groats!

This amazing challenge and adventure has so far raised £685 for Spinal Research and £1850 for DSUK which will help sponsor sister Anna’s ski racing.

“Thanks all for your amazing support!

Tuesday's diary:
"Cracking day today. Sunny all day. Knocked off 20 Quick miles up to Loch Ness then a nice little climb and long descent to Beauly. After that we had another 20 sunny miles cycling the length of the Black Isle. A great lunch at Cromarty while we waited for the ferry, which we missed but which came back in to pick us up (we were the only passengers) then mostly the busyish A9 to finish along the coast.

"92 Miles in the end bringing is to 980 in total, although my speedo broke yesterday so I'm stuck on 797 miles!”

Luke Turney and Dave Bosomworth reached John O'Groats at 3 o'clock today, in 12 days.

Brother Luke and Dave, you are amazing! Thank you guys so much! I wish I could've joined you but it would take some heavy training for me.

Alan Cook is currently the first handcyclist en route from John O'Groats to Land's End. Good Luck Alan! see http://www.justgiving.com/AlanCookRAB for more info.

Video footage from Scotland

noreply@blogger.com (Anna's Blog) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 21:00:00 +0000

Lovely morning crossing Arran first thing to catch a 9:30 ferry.

More of the same to Tarbert on the Mull of Kintyre for 1st lunch (pic). Spent the rest of the day crisscrossing the Mull of Kintyre to Oban (inc 2nd lunch).

Amazing countryside and good weather too - and a great ad for beautiful Scotland! About 80 miles done today.

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to the charities. Luke and Dave are cracking on despite saving the hills for the end!