Stepping up as a role model and mentor
Written by Bryony Shaw | 17 July 2014
My build up to the recent European Championships was to focus on two key goals, my fitness and equipment testing, so it has been an intense block of training in preparation for the events season.
To feel prepared for an away-Games at this level takes a great deal of planning and logistics. We gave ourselves eight weeks to test all the equipment I needed for the Euros, as well as the Rio Test Event and the Worlds in Spain coming up in September. Transporting the kit can be a tricky business, for Rio I have put one set in a container, for Santander it will be driven out on the ferry and for Turkey I had to fly with it.
Putting windsurfing kit on an aircraft can always be a bit of a risk, and in Turkey my board came off the plane with a smashed rail. This took a bit of time to repair and so I lost a day on the water before the event. However, with all the quality sailing in the build up I felt confident with my board speed.
This speed showed up nicely in my racing and I had a great first day, gaining myself the yellow jersey. But two major errors on day two dropped me out of the podium spots, a port-starboard incident where I had to do penalty turns saw me score a 20th and I followed that with an OCS… Shocker day!
I raced well after that, including a race win, but with a day’s racing lost due to winds gusting over 35 knots I was not able to claw my way back to the medals, finishing up 4th overall. Still, I was happy to go home with 1,000 Euros prizemoney for my efforts… Not bad
I fly to Rio on 25 July, but before that I’m having some time off the board ahead of what is going to be a very intense period of racing at the Test Event and Worlds.
Life goes on outside of windsurfing and I’m helping my mum and dad move house.
I’m also really looking forward to doing some coaching for my boyfriend Brad Funk, Paul Goodison and Chris Draper at the Moth Worlds at Hayling Island next week. My coach Dom and I think it will be really good for me to be on the coach boat and see the other side of an event whilst also get some great coaching experience.
Read the rest of Bryony's blog here