Back from Italia

Well i'm back. Turns out i was needed to row for the entire week so i managed to do 15 sessions in 6 days. Not a bad effort. And no real adverse effects from the old back injury so i'm pretty hopeful i've now got it under control. I'm still going to go to a chiropractor though as there is no point risking anything right now.

So news from when i was away. I returned to find that i had 75 emails to read and reply to. Many were from alumni from my college, Teddy Hall in Oxford, to offer support and help financially and with more practical things such as accomodation in Aus and equipment. it was such a great feeling to come back and be greeted by people willing to help. This challenge seems to be attracting attention from many people now so i can only hope that my good fortune continues - i'm still a very long way from my target! And i'm desperately looking for corporate sponsorship. I know that times are very hard for everyone at the moment but the potential return on events like these are huge. Just think about how much attention the Atlantic race and Cracknell and Fogle received and this is the very first Indian Ocean Race and the crew has the potential to break so many records:
- the FIRST ever ocean rowing eight
- the FIRST female to cross the Indian
- the FIRST paraplegic to cross the Indian (my fellow female crew member and skipper Angela Madsen is a paraplegic, paralympian and has already crossed the Atlantic)
- the FIRST time a disabled athlete has crossed two oceans
- the YOUNGEST person to cross the Indian

The crew has already been receiving press in the UK and the US but there is so much more that can be done. I'm frantically trying to get as much publicity as possible and any corporate sponsor could be a part of that. Contact me for more details!

As from next week i am going to be in Oxford f0r 4-5 days a week so there will be plenty of opportunities to use the facilities and resources there (a lot more than back in Suffolk!). I will still be training with Sudbury at the weekends and be very much a part of the club but my old college has offered me the chance to coach their women's squad part time and use their boathouse as a training base whenever i like so i can't really refuse. It's a lot easier to cycle 10 mins to train than drive for 40 mins!