Olympic Day Run Race

On the 24th June I helped out at Bath University with the Olympic day run.
The University of Bath hosted a sporting celebration on behalf of the British Olympic Foundation to celebrate International Olympic Day.
Building on the International Olympic Committee’s three pillars of Move, Learn and Discover, the day consisted of different secondary school students taking part in the run and a sports festival to discover new skills, a junior academy for students to learn and debate Olympic themes and an art display. More than 400 young people attended the event at the Sports Training Village. I started off the race with a few words to encourage and inspire the young athletes.

Top Gear

Are you a fan of Top Gear? (I am!) If you haven’t already seen it, you need to get onto i-player and see the first of the new series that started last week (26th June), in which I was featured. I went out to Lillehammer to race the new Mini rally car down the track on my sled. James May was in the rally car and I was on the skeleton track, it was great fun although hard work as we filmed for two nights solid 6pm -7am! I was shattered by the end! I was in the studio last week for the last bit of filming and for a little chat with Jeremy Clarkson! Well I didn’t get to say too much in the end, but great great fun, thanks guys! http://transmission.blogs.topgear.com/2011/06/27/behind-the-scenes-james-and-amy-williams/

Wimbledon 2011

I was lucky to be invited to Wimbledon on the middle Sports Saturday, I received an invitation last year and so was thrilled when I received another this year. It really is a grand day out, an early start to get dressed up (making sure my dress covered my dodgy knee!) and ready with my good friend Vicky, who had stayed over in Bath to join me for the occasion. We got to Wimbledon in good time and were met at the gates by lots of sports fans wanting autographs; they would have got a good number, as I was joining many sporting greats, such as Jonathon Edwards, Mark Foster, Sir Steve Redgrave and Martina Navratilova. It’s always lovely to be standing next to fellow athletes whom you admire so much.
Also invited to the Royal Box were many service men and women from the Armed Forces and it was particularly memorable how they received a long ovation from the crowd in honour of them all. The tennis was superb: I was lucky to have Roger Federer and Djokovic to watch - a first for me - and now today Djokovic has gone on to win Wimbledon 2011. Well done to him!
I did start thinking, throughout the matches that day, how tennis players move to that next level of competition. As an athlete who has now reached the highest level of my sport, I know the dedication and hard work that goes into reaching that level. One of which is through technology, research and development. I admit I know nothing about tennis as a sport, apart from simply the scoring! But my brain was whirring with how they must improve to the next step. When I saw Federer suddenly change his racket half-way through his match, I couldn’t help but think, “Does he know exactly how many times he can hit the ball before the tension in his racket changes and starts to have an effect on his power?” and “I wonder if tennis players work with cricketers; is there a cross-over with putting spin on the ball and how to hit it?” Maybe they already do all of this…but it made me think!

Freshford village fete

On Saturday I went along as a guest to Freshford village, a beautiful little quaint English village just outside Bath. They asked if I would open up the summer fete for them, which I was delighted to do. It had been ages since I had been to one, so I took some girlfriends along to join me, and we enjoyed a sunny, yes sunny! summers day out, playing on the tombola, eating cakes with cups of tea and watching the locals brownies on the maypole.

Bath Night Walk for Macmillan Cancer Support

Tonight, the 11th June, I will be starting the Bath Night walk in aid of Macmillan cancer support. It starts at 9pm at the Bath Rec, in the centre of the town. The walk will be about 4 miles long, so you can take a steady pace and enjoy the beautiful scenery around the City.
Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support. Working alongside people affected by cancer, Macmillan works to improve cancer care. One in three of us will get cancer. Two million of us are living with it. If you are affected by cancer Macmillan can help so please come along and take part, It is open to women only, but men should in no way feel left out! Dozens of volunteers are needed to cheer the walkers on and man the route. Registration is £10, and no minimum sponsorship is required (though an objective of £100 is gently encouraged). To sign up for the Bath Night Walk or find out more information, simply visit www.bathnightwalk.org where you can register online or download a hard copy form to complete. Walkers will then be sent a Bath Night Walk pack with everything they need to help raise their sponsorship target and prepare for the walk. see you there!

Decathlon Store Relaunch

Last week I drove up and down to Nottingham twice, a 320 mile round trip! I was at the Ikea retail park just outside Nottingham. I was asked to do a talk, to meet and greet people in the store, and give any advise on training. I also took part in many activities that had been set up in the big car park, so I scaled up climbing walls, kicked footballs as fast as possible, attempted to kick a rugby ball into different sized holes, I had a go on their archery set, table tennis and of course….space hoppers, having races against many children!! I almost lost my Olympic medal to one of them who was determined to take it home with him! Highly recommend heading to a Decathlon store for any sports equipment you need for any activity.

Hayesfield School New Sports Centre

Hayesfield school in Bath used to be my old secondary school, so when I was asked whether I would mind having the new performing arts and sports centre named after me, I felt very honoured. They have built a fantastic new building which includes a sports hall, gymnasium, multi gym, netball courts and all weather pitch as well as performing arts facilities for music and dance and Art teaching. There is also a new refectory and auditorium as well as a new reception area and open learning centre at the core of the building. I officially opened the building and said some encouraging words to the girls, I hope they will be inspired to take part in sport and that this building will be a place where the community and local area can all use.