Olympic Experience - Debbie
10 September 2008
I have finally settled in back home and it’s great to be breathing the fresh air again, sleeping in my own bed enjoying NZ!
The Beijing Olympics have now been and gone, it was a journey filled with mixed emotions; I was neither elated nor too disappointed with my result.
On the day I gave what I could but as an athlete I wanted more from myself.
It was an amazing experience and I learnt a lot and it surprises me how much I can take away from a race, and if anything it has made me hungrier for 2012.
We arrived in Beijing three days before the race. Our management team did a superb job in making our lives extremely easy leading up to the race. We had stayed at the same hotel previous years so we knew exactly what to expect and what the food would be like, although these things seem like minor things, in China it was critical to have these things right before the race.
Come race day August 18th 2008 it was a day that I had been waiting for, for a long time. The Olympics is something very different in many ways and my way of dealing with this was to try and make everything as normal as possible, including the pre night dinner … Pizza Hutt! Believe it or not it was pretty good for Pizza Hutt in China!
My preparation and build up to the race went pretty much to plan, a few small hiccups along the way but I think you sometimes need these to keep you honest.
I was more than lucky and feel very privileged to have my coach Pete Pfitzinger and swim coach Damian Pedreschi with me for nearly all of my trip, the support that I get from my coaches is truly unbelievable. They know me, and know exactly how I operate, what works for me and what I am capable of and much more. They put their lives into my dream and what I do and I am truly grateful for this.
It is also imperative to acknowledge the support from my sponsors, these people enable me to not only travel around the world, but make it possible
for me to be a professional athlete. To be a triathlete is one thing to be a world class triathlete is another and without the support from my sponsors I would not be able to do what I do, so thank you!
Also the support from my family, they have always inspired me and allowed me to live and follow my dream, they have sacrificed a lot to allow me to do this and to have them in China was incredible.
The NZ triathlon team got together in Korea 2 weeks out before race day.
It was an ideal place to train and prepare as it was 30 degrees plus and 80% humidity most days. Along with the NZ team in Korea was about ten other countries who had also chosen to train in exactly the same place.
Our management had done in excellent job in planning and ensuring that everything in the pre Olympic camp was run smoothly and efficiently. I was very privileged to be on such a high-quality team, not only in athletic ability but professionalism and down right good people. I know that there are not many countries in the world that can operate the way we do. The respect between the athletes and the management is held in high regard, yet there is the relaxed, carefree environment that surrounded the camp which made our day to day lives easy and enjoyable and let us get on with the job that we are there to do.
After the men’s race we where able to go into the village for the first time and meet the rest of the NZ team. It was truly amazing. The NZ Olympic committee had made our area in the village a home away from home, with bean bags, coffee machine (including barrister) ginger nuts, pineapple lumps and minties, this was all a bit much, and yes we did indulge. It's amazing how a good coffee, chocolate biscuit and Kiwiana atmosphere can make you feel so at home in such a far fetched place.
After spending nearly a week in the Village after the race, going to support the NZ athletes in their events along with a few late nights it was time to head off home. Air NZ had chartered a plane to take the Olympic athletes home, which was very cool. We got on board and each had a special bag with an L&P drink, minties and pineapple lumps… just to get us home.
We where then all handed a glass of champagne to toast the medalist and the success of the team. It was then time to settle in for the 13 hours ahead.
I decided after the race that I would continue on and finish off the season with a couple more races, one in Loriant, France and possibly Mexico World Cup at the end of October. I head off to France on the 20th September and then will come back to NZ. From there I will decide to weather to compete in Mexico, or call it a season and a have a break.
Thank you all again for your continuous support.
Cheers
Deb
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