Wednesday 24 June 2009

facing up to difficulties

bloggerNW strawberry


photo: adrian does his gardening even if its difficult to manage his time


* * *


i was starstruck.

i met the most inspiring person (face-to-face) yesterday. (i was suppposed to blog about this but i was too tired from other things).

i met a 2012 Great Britain swimming olympian. a 16 year old, very artistic young girl, in fashionable clothes,funky eyeglasses,and an even funkier haircut.

shes just like one of those teenagers that you meet in the street. the only difference, apart from her being on training for the 2012 Olympics is that she's an amputee. she only has 1 arm.


(hence, why us OT's are involved,lol).

it was a surreal experience, as her dad and mum were showing us the calendar of the Scottish Widow (an insurance company owned by a big British bank)which she and the rest of the 2012 Olympian's were featured.

she's a spokesperson for a disability group and she's always doing charity fundraisers for disabled clubs and organizations.

we overstayed at her house,as the mum and dad were talking unendlessly about her projects, and her accomplishments, pride so evident in their voice.


if not for her being picked up by the cab for her training in the pool, we probably would have a hard time coming out of their house.


(i wish i could share her website here but because of confidentiality issues, i am legally bound).


* * *

i went home eager to go to the gym last night.


J, swims 6x a week at 5:30 in the morning, and does body training sessions in the gym 3x a week.

and this girl has only one arm.


while i, two arms, two thick legs,and even thicker trunk, can hardly walk to the kitchen to even cook for myself.


55 minutes on the cross-trainer and treadmill after, i resolve, to keep going, despite and inspite of difficulties.

no excuses.


well, not yet anyway.

6 comments:

Mommy Blogs said...

go go go!!! patakod ko...

Shutterfairy said...

I am inspired.. makes me want to go on and on.. =) funny how we sometimes realize these things chel sa? We are motivated by different reasons.

Waka pic sa girl?

Aileen said...

wow! na starstruck ko apil. =)

i saw in the news, a teenage girl, too. a champion wind surfer who lost one arm through shark attack.

after her operation, she took the courage to go back to sea, practiced balancing (lisud i-balance with one arm), and surfed again.

these people are truly very inspiring.

and you, you constantly inspire me.

hiddenrage said...

go go go!!! patakod ko...

- - -

lagi,maka inspire gyud siya therese=) i was sooo starstruck=)

hiddenrage said...

wow! na starstruck ko apil. =)

i saw in the news, a teenage girl, too. a champion wind surfer who lost one arm through shark attack.

after her operation, she took the courage to go back to sea, practiced balancing (lisud i-balance with one arm), and surfed again.

these people are truly very inspiring.

and you, you constantly inspire me.

- - -

the body's centre of gravity (which we learn from the motor cortex of our brain since babyhood) changes, and man, thats hard! it takes years for people to relearn balance..athletes will take shorter time to relearn because theyre used to regimented training..

ive seen that surfer too=) and shes still winning competitions=) ako matrauma siguro ko,after a shock bit off my arm=)

hi ai, thanks for saying i inspire you, but actually its the other way around, i constantly say that about you:-)

hiddenrage said...

I am inspired.. makes me want to go on and on.. =) funny how we sometimes realize these things chel sa? We are motivated by different reasons.

Waka pic sa girl?

- - -

naa koy link sa iyang website, coz she showed it to us=)but im not allowed to show it,due to Data protection Act..and were not allowed to take pictures of children from where we work mai, unless used for therapy purposes..(well, in the UK as a whole, parents are paranoid about photos of their children...i would be too,with all the paedophiles about).

mai, grabe, infectious ang iyang love for working out,and swimming=) i am so motivated=)

mai, check your multiply,PM=) *wink*=)