As ever there is good news and bad news and I'll start with the bad news as it usually seems to be the most popular choice:
The team for the World Championships has been selected and to my huge disappointment, I'm not in it. Infact, two out of the four fencers of the previous Senior Team over the past two years have been deselected for this competition, which is a suprising decision for the Worlds before an Olympic Games, but one which I can't dwell on. And so, must focus on the good news...
My move back to Manchester has been a brilliant decision for my fencing and my wellbeing overall.Thoroughly enjoying training again has motivated me to get back into an effective routine and and to pursue all the support that's here in Manchester and Chesterfield. I am back to fencing at Stockport Sword Club in the week, and getting lessons from my coach at Wingerworth Fencing Club at weekends. I have returned to DNA Sports Performance in the Power Room for strength and conditioning (You should have a look at the aptly named Power Room )and I continue to be sponsored by Steria Ltd. and Brampton Manor of Chesterfield and supported by o2's athlete development scheme.
Importantly, all of these have contributed to my feeling positive about fencing, and I believe this has been the cause of my improvement in performance and ultimately, competitions. Over the past few weeks I competed at Bristol Open coming 2nd (improvement of twenty places from last year)and Essex Open coming 3rd (an improvement of more places than I care to count from before).
Now my main focus is to stick to all of the sports psychologist's cliches (which honestly do help) ...control the controllables...focus on performance... results will take care of themselves etc etc.and these will make sure I train hard enough, and right enough to make it back on to the travelling team, and be there, at the Olympics.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Saturday, 10 September 2011
How o2 is helping me to pursue the best sport of them all.
Below is an article I wrote for an internal magazine at o2. It's a little bit about why Fencing is great and how my work placement with o2 has helped me stay motivated. I've edited it a bit for this blog to avoid too much repitition and it was also written specifically for o2 colleagues and so sings o2's praises, but everything I've written is genuine:
I started fencing at a small local club in Derbyshire when a friend asked if I would go with them. At the time I was competing in athletics and netball for my county and when I tried fencing, my first impressions were that it was a bit of an odd activity which, in my view, was hard pushed to call itself a “sport”. As I continued to go (partly for the social side and partly because I am competitive and there were people there I hadn’t yet beaten) I gradually realised that it is the most endearing sport of them all. The more you discover of fencing, the more fascinating it becomes. In running, and even netball, there is a limit to the creativity involved. Your aim is to be faster, more accurate, more powerful, but the creativity is restricted. In fencing, your power, strength and speed are important, but they can only get you so far. If someone can predict what you’re going to do, it doesn’t matter how fast your attack is, you’re doomed. For this reason the progression in fencing is infinite-a challenging feat for someone who likes to reach goals, but luckily I also like a challenge...
So this is my sport, and this is why I chose to pursue it as a full time occupation. When I moved to london in order to do this, I also applied for the o2 scheme to gain some extra work experience along with working towards London 2012. So far my fencing had gone from strength to strength and the transition from a 14 year old girl going to a small club of beginners to full-time athlete had been smoother than I thought possible. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to last as I didn’t enjoy living in London and although I was training hard, I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to compete, which resulted in a poor season in the international individual events.
Although the team event was looking more positive for us with regards to going to the Olympics, this wasn’t to go smoothly either. Soon after gaining our highest ever world ranking following reaching the quarter finals in Rio, British Fencing went through some changes resulting in our national coach ending his time with us and a new Performance Manager being appointed. Due to the uncertainty of the team and my feelings towards living in London, I moved back up to Manchester to find steadier and more familiar ground.
This would have a been pretty tough if it hadn’t been for another aspect of my life which was becoming increasingly more positive and exciting, and here I am referring, of course, to my work placement with o2. This new opportunity was providing me with the perfect antidote towards feelings that I’d wasted my time and efforts training so hard for the past 4 years. I had been given the chance to learn and work for a stimulating business who wanted me, as an athlete, to become involved in their journey through HR. With o2’s flexibility, I was able to very easily transfer from the Slough Office to a Bury site and over the past few months, the stability I‘ve gained from working with the Policy Team has allowed me to build up a training regime here, in Manchester. I’m now training hard and positively again and started the domestic season well, coming 3rd at Essex Open at the weekend, despite driving down at 4am and feeling sick with nerves after “bouncing back” from my time in London. Any day now I will hear the team selection for the World Championships and as a squad, we are all working hard to qualify for the Olympics over this coming season.
I started fencing at a small local club in Derbyshire when a friend asked if I would go with them. At the time I was competing in athletics and netball for my county and when I tried fencing, my first impressions were that it was a bit of an odd activity which, in my view, was hard pushed to call itself a “sport”. As I continued to go (partly for the social side and partly because I am competitive and there were people there I hadn’t yet beaten) I gradually realised that it is the most endearing sport of them all. The more you discover of fencing, the more fascinating it becomes. In running, and even netball, there is a limit to the creativity involved. Your aim is to be faster, more accurate, more powerful, but the creativity is restricted. In fencing, your power, strength and speed are important, but they can only get you so far. If someone can predict what you’re going to do, it doesn’t matter how fast your attack is, you’re doomed. For this reason the progression in fencing is infinite-a challenging feat for someone who likes to reach goals, but luckily I also like a challenge...
So this is my sport, and this is why I chose to pursue it as a full time occupation. When I moved to london in order to do this, I also applied for the o2 scheme to gain some extra work experience along with working towards London 2012. So far my fencing had gone from strength to strength and the transition from a 14 year old girl going to a small club of beginners to full-time athlete had been smoother than I thought possible. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to last as I didn’t enjoy living in London and although I was training hard, I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to compete, which resulted in a poor season in the international individual events.
Although the team event was looking more positive for us with regards to going to the Olympics, this wasn’t to go smoothly either. Soon after gaining our highest ever world ranking following reaching the quarter finals in Rio, British Fencing went through some changes resulting in our national coach ending his time with us and a new Performance Manager being appointed. Due to the uncertainty of the team and my feelings towards living in London, I moved back up to Manchester to find steadier and more familiar ground.
This would have a been pretty tough if it hadn’t been for another aspect of my life which was becoming increasingly more positive and exciting, and here I am referring, of course, to my work placement with o2. This new opportunity was providing me with the perfect antidote towards feelings that I’d wasted my time and efforts training so hard for the past 4 years. I had been given the chance to learn and work for a stimulating business who wanted me, as an athlete, to become involved in their journey through HR. With o2’s flexibility, I was able to very easily transfer from the Slough Office to a Bury site and over the past few months, the stability I‘ve gained from working with the Policy Team has allowed me to build up a training regime here, in Manchester. I’m now training hard and positively again and started the domestic season well, coming 3rd at Essex Open at the weekend, despite driving down at 4am and feeling sick with nerves after “bouncing back” from my time in London. Any day now I will hear the team selection for the World Championships and as a squad, we are all working hard to qualify for the Olympics over this coming season.
Monday, 18 July 2011
Brampton Manor
I am really pleased to say that I have started a new sponsorship with Brampton Manor, as an addition to the support I receive from Steria Ltd. Brampton Manor kindly allow me access to their facilities and so I will be visiting it frequently to use their squash courts for fencing lessons, their gym and the swimming pool (and probably the sauna and jacuzzi - for performance reasons only!). I am really pleased to become a member of Brampton Manor, not just because it is a central hub of the community, but also because Brampton Manor was the first business who supported me as part of the Going for Gold Scheme for school children in the area in 2005/06.
A bit of a change
"Here is a little update as I have neglected my blogging duties somewhat recently. My past year in London has seen a huge improvement in my technical and tactical aspects of my game along with a deeper understanding of fencing as a whole. I have been selected for all the competitions over the season and having more time since finishing my degree has allowed me to become stronger, fitter and faster. It has however, come to the end of the season which has been disappointing with regards to my individual results. Whilst I have fenced with increasing confidence in the team matches, my individual performances are not yet reflecting my training, as anxiety has obstructed my way.
British Fencing has also gone through some structural changes this season which has seen a few changes in training schedules and coaching leading up to the European Championships. One of the decisions was to change the women's epee team a little, meaning that I was reserve for the GB team. Although this was a huge disappointment, it can also provide many reasons with which to look upon the experience in a positive light. Firstly, it changes the anxiety of not 'making-it' into a hunger to make it: I have less to lose. Secondly, it allowed me to attend the Championships as a spectator (16th July) and have an objective view of those nervous fencers and the successful fencers without having my own nerves and thoughts of my own performance, as I usually do when I am at the competitions. Thirdly, it has provided me with a little respite to gather myself and get my thoughts clear without a looming Championship during a time when my confidence in my ability is not at an all-time high."
With this time to review my performance and attitude, I have decided with the support of my team, and of friends and family, that I will return to the North. London provided me with the skills and the volumes of training I needed and now I need to focus on the mental side and return to the familiarity and the comfort and happiness I will gain from home to perform at my true standard - when it matters.
There is still the Women's Epee Team Event tomorrow (Tuesday, 19th)and I am certainly looking forward to supporting GB at the Institute of Sport (Sheffield). If you are free, it "kicks off" at 9.30 am and we would really love as much support as possible for a full home-advantage effect.
British Fencing has also gone through some structural changes this season which has seen a few changes in training schedules and coaching leading up to the European Championships. One of the decisions was to change the women's epee team a little, meaning that I was reserve for the GB team. Although this was a huge disappointment, it can also provide many reasons with which to look upon the experience in a positive light. Firstly, it changes the anxiety of not 'making-it' into a hunger to make it: I have less to lose. Secondly, it allowed me to attend the Championships as a spectator (16th July) and have an objective view of those nervous fencers and the successful fencers without having my own nerves and thoughts of my own performance, as I usually do when I am at the competitions. Thirdly, it has provided me with a little respite to gather myself and get my thoughts clear without a looming Championship during a time when my confidence in my ability is not at an all-time high."
With this time to review my performance and attitude, I have decided with the support of my team, and of friends and family, that I will return to the North. London provided me with the skills and the volumes of training I needed and now I need to focus on the mental side and return to the familiarity and the comfort and happiness I will gain from home to perform at my true standard - when it matters.
There is still the Women's Epee Team Event tomorrow (Tuesday, 19th)and I am certainly looking forward to supporting GB at the Institute of Sport (Sheffield). If you are free, it "kicks off" at 9.30 am and we would really love as much support as possible for a full home-advantage effect.
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
The Europeans are in Sheffield!!
The European Fencing Championships are in Sheffield this year (14th-19th of July) which is very exciting for me because Sheffield is close to Chesterfield and I am a fencer. Although the teams have not been selected yet I am pretty excited at the concept of having top world class fencing (the Europeans are the best in the world)so close to my house whether I am supporting or fencing.
As I am so local and on the British Team I was asked to write a little something to advise European supporters and fencers as well as British visitors and fencers what to do with their time in Sheffield. This is what I said:
I live in Chesterfield, which is just outside Sheffield and so was delighted when I found that the Fencing European Championships were coming to Sheffield. I have many links with Sheffield…my family come from here, I was a junior season ticket holder for Sheffield United, I fenced at various Sheffield fencing clubs… and so I would like to enlighten you with some local knowledge of the area to make your ‘Sheffield time’ as good as it should be.
I’m a female epeeist and so appreciate that the best shops are of high interest to fencers and females alike. In Sheffield these can most definitely be found in Meadowhall, a very large shopping centre with a large variety of restaurants, easily accessible from the Europeans venue (EIS) - simply get the tram from the Institute of Sport directly to Meadowhall.
Kelham Island is the old location of some of Sheffield’s steel works and is now the best place in England for true English pubs, local music, beers and food. Fact. During the day, Kelham Island Museum is a small but really interesting place to learn about Sheffield’s Steel works and see the monster machines of the past at work. Again, the tram is probably the best transport to use as Kelham Island is a short walk from Shalesmoor tram stop.
Sheffield has a nice city centre, but its brightest aspect is the countryside it sits amongst. Very easily accessible by train, the Peak District is one of the biggest things I miss being stuck in smokey London. Edale is a typical Peak District village and where I’ve spent many of my summers. It is also the start of the Pennine Way and so has clear signposts for great walks in the heathery moors. Grindleford is also a brilliant place to see the best of the Peak District from Sheffield and includes an authentic and very famous (in the area) greasy spoons café within the old railway station building.
Finally, I can’t write this without suggesting you take the train into Chesterfield to see the Crooked Spire and visit the market and Jacksons Bakery for a true North-Derbyshire/ South Yorkshire experience.
For more information about things to do or travel phone the Sheffield Tourist Information on 0114 221 1900.
I really hope you enjoy your stay, and if you’re about to leave Sheffield with a negative view of the place- find me (I’ll be there fencing or supporting) and I’ll head you in the right direction so as to change your opinion.
So this is my advice to them. And my advice to you ( for those of you reading this through the Derbyshire Times) is to GO and see some world class fencing. Its a really great opportunity not to be missed.
As I am so local and on the British Team I was asked to write a little something to advise European supporters and fencers as well as British visitors and fencers what to do with their time in Sheffield. This is what I said:
I live in Chesterfield, which is just outside Sheffield and so was delighted when I found that the Fencing European Championships were coming to Sheffield. I have many links with Sheffield…my family come from here, I was a junior season ticket holder for Sheffield United, I fenced at various Sheffield fencing clubs… and so I would like to enlighten you with some local knowledge of the area to make your ‘Sheffield time’ as good as it should be.
I’m a female epeeist and so appreciate that the best shops are of high interest to fencers and females alike. In Sheffield these can most definitely be found in Meadowhall, a very large shopping centre with a large variety of restaurants, easily accessible from the Europeans venue (EIS) - simply get the tram from the Institute of Sport directly to Meadowhall.
Kelham Island is the old location of some of Sheffield’s steel works and is now the best place in England for true English pubs, local music, beers and food. Fact. During the day, Kelham Island Museum is a small but really interesting place to learn about Sheffield’s Steel works and see the monster machines of the past at work. Again, the tram is probably the best transport to use as Kelham Island is a short walk from Shalesmoor tram stop.
Sheffield has a nice city centre, but its brightest aspect is the countryside it sits amongst. Very easily accessible by train, the Peak District is one of the biggest things I miss being stuck in smokey London. Edale is a typical Peak District village and where I’ve spent many of my summers. It is also the start of the Pennine Way and so has clear signposts for great walks in the heathery moors. Grindleford is also a brilliant place to see the best of the Peak District from Sheffield and includes an authentic and very famous (in the area) greasy spoons café within the old railway station building.
Finally, I can’t write this without suggesting you take the train into Chesterfield to see the Crooked Spire and visit the market and Jacksons Bakery for a true North-Derbyshire/ South Yorkshire experience.
For more information about things to do or travel phone the Sheffield Tourist Information on 0114 221 1900.
I really hope you enjoy your stay, and if you’re about to leave Sheffield with a negative view of the place- find me (I’ll be there fencing or supporting) and I’ll head you in the right direction so as to change your opinion.
So this is my advice to them. And my advice to you ( for those of you reading this through the Derbyshire Times) is to GO and see some world class fencing. Its a really great opportunity not to be missed.
Monday, 25 April 2011
500 days and counting
First of all I’m sorry for not updating my blog sooner, and it is only because of a push from Derbyshire Times that I am writing this one.
To be brutally honest and nakedly truthful I have been too exhausted to attempt to sit and write this blog. I’ve started to work two days a week and continue to train hard, but this is not the cause. Instead, I feel emotionally and psychologically drained and weary. The stress that has come with less than 500 days to the Olympics is almost more than I have found that I can bear.
This stress is mainly manifested by not performing, with the pressure to perform twisting my fencing style into a terrified rabbit-in-the-headlights style: a frustrating cycle. The stress is also magnified by the inescapable Olympic theme running through London and the UK.
The encouragement, passion and interest on the radio, TV, billboards, is absolutely what I would hope for (and what my sponsorship relies on) but I can’t deny it's not stressful to experience constant questioning along the lines of “Do you know if you are in the Olympics yet? Should I bother getting tickets? Should I get a ticket for the early rounds or the finals?”.
After a particularly stressful day of funding meetings and goal setting, I sat down to watch Coronation Street, eat some Chocolate and forget about fencing and the ‘O’ word before I had to go to evening training. Sounds like a solution eh? But aaargh, there, on my Wispa, smirking up at me, were those damn Olympic Rings teasing me and laughing at my thought that I might be able to avoid the Olympics for half an hour of my life.
The stress to perform is becoming ever more public as the excitement for the Olympics heightens. Today I got a text from my friend saying she got a leaflet through her door in Chesterfield with the words ‘meet and greet the amazing Olympic athlete, Hannah Lawrence’ at a Brampton Manor function. (I think the Advertising Agency might have something to say about that). All these moments cause a voice to scream in my head “WHAT'S going to happen if I don’t get in”.
But then I remember that all athletes who have ever made it would have gone through similar thought processes and that I’m pretty sure I am not the first person to have ever stressed out about having pressure to perform as an athlete. And now I feel silly for writing this whole post where I have moaned and felt sorry for myself, and not written about the last competitions
So - in a nut shell: have had ups and downs, with Leipzig A-Grade fencing my best yet and very narrowly losing to a Korean in extra time to make the Last 64, and getting knocked out of the team event by the overall winners, Estonia. Barcelona A-Grade: fencing terribly in individuals and not making it on to the team who then did badly losing to Japan. Finally, to Naples at the European Club Competition fencing for London Thames Fencing Club where, with the pressure dropped, I fenced like a praying mantis(patient and explosive) and loved every minute of it.
For a general update, I am 125th in the World which is currently not enough to qualify but I am moving ever further to the top, second ranked Brit in the World Rankings, and third ranked in National
Rankings. (for more stats
http://www.fie.ch/Competitions/FencerDetail.aspx?param=FEC61CE5E2D2DF9195E37082079DB6E )
To be brutally honest and nakedly truthful I have been too exhausted to attempt to sit and write this blog. I’ve started to work two days a week and continue to train hard, but this is not the cause. Instead, I feel emotionally and psychologically drained and weary. The stress that has come with less than 500 days to the Olympics is almost more than I have found that I can bear.
This stress is mainly manifested by not performing, with the pressure to perform twisting my fencing style into a terrified rabbit-in-the-headlights style: a frustrating cycle. The stress is also magnified by the inescapable Olympic theme running through London and the UK.
The encouragement, passion and interest on the radio, TV, billboards, is absolutely what I would hope for (and what my sponsorship relies on) but I can’t deny it's not stressful to experience constant questioning along the lines of “Do you know if you are in the Olympics yet? Should I bother getting tickets? Should I get a ticket for the early rounds or the finals?”.
After a particularly stressful day of funding meetings and goal setting, I sat down to watch Coronation Street, eat some Chocolate and forget about fencing and the ‘O’ word before I had to go to evening training. Sounds like a solution eh? But aaargh, there, on my Wispa, smirking up at me, were those damn Olympic Rings teasing me and laughing at my thought that I might be able to avoid the Olympics for half an hour of my life.
The stress to perform is becoming ever more public as the excitement for the Olympics heightens. Today I got a text from my friend saying she got a leaflet through her door in Chesterfield with the words ‘meet and greet the amazing Olympic athlete, Hannah Lawrence’ at a Brampton Manor function. (I think the Advertising Agency might have something to say about that). All these moments cause a voice to scream in my head “WHAT'S going to happen if I don’t get in”.
But then I remember that all athletes who have ever made it would have gone through similar thought processes and that I’m pretty sure I am not the first person to have ever stressed out about having pressure to perform as an athlete. And now I feel silly for writing this whole post where I have moaned and felt sorry for myself, and not written about the last competitions
So - in a nut shell: have had ups and downs, with Leipzig A-Grade fencing my best yet and very narrowly losing to a Korean in extra time to make the Last 64, and getting knocked out of the team event by the overall winners, Estonia. Barcelona A-Grade: fencing terribly in individuals and not making it on to the team who then did badly losing to Japan. Finally, to Naples at the European Club Competition fencing for London Thames Fencing Club where, with the pressure dropped, I fenced like a praying mantis(patient and explosive) and loved every minute of it.
For a general update, I am 125th in the World which is currently not enough to qualify but I am moving ever further to the top, second ranked Brit in the World Rankings, and third ranked in National
Rankings. (for more stats
http://www.fie.ch/Competitions/FencerDetail.aspx?param=FEC61CE5E2D2DF9195E37082079DB6E )
Thursday, 7 April 2011
CHESTERFIELD
This week I was asked to be an honorary Chesterfield Champion and a promoter of Chesterfield.
Although this is a repeat of my first blog already, this is what I wrote for my profile on their website:
My name is Hannah and I am a fencer, currently living in London, and training full-time in the hope of competing in the 2012 Olympics. This is quite an unusual situation to be in considering that I grew up in Chesterfield, went to Brookfield Community School and loved playing netball and doing athletics at Queens Park Annex. Although my occupation is not typical of a Chesterfieldian, I have no doubt in my mind that it is my upbringing in Chesterfield that got me where I am today.
I started fencing around 14 years old at Wingerworth Fencing Club, who welcome, encourage and nurture everyone who comes through the Sharley Park doors, to embody and love fencing as much as they do. Their love of the sport (and their lifts to various national competitions) inspired me to keep fencing despite GCSE’s, A Levels, Pizza Hut shifts and the bright lights of “chez vegas”.
Brookfield also supported me, finding funding from Derbyshire Sports Council and giving me free use of Brampton Manor for fitness and the Sports Hall for lessons during lunch time.
As I moved to Manchester to Study Sociology at University, despite representing Great Britain on the International Junior Circuit, my funds began to run out - but Chesterfield provided for me once again. My friend’s sister’s friend (in true Chesterfield style) who worked at Steria Ltd (behind the new NHS Centre) offered me sponsorship after I became Senior National Champion, and opened the door to a whole host of new opportunities. I was then able to compete at the Australian Youth Olympics 2009 winning a bronze and gold medal, the Junior Commonwealths 2009, winning a gold medal, and The World Student Games 2010. I was then put on the senior national team and have competed at two World Championships and one European Championship where GBR quarter-finalled in the team event. I am now half way through my second senior international season, am ranked 2nd Nationally and have a world ranking.
With my move down to London in October 2010 and seeing the high standard of Fencing clubs in the South, instead of feeling deprived and disadvantaged growing up away from the centre of fencing, I have realised that without the community spirit of Chesterfield I would never have had the drive to achieve what I have, nor to keep striving to achieve, and I hope to promote my home town further in the run up to our own Olympic Games, London 2012.
Although this is a repeat of my first blog already, this is what I wrote for my profile on their website:
My name is Hannah and I am a fencer, currently living in London, and training full-time in the hope of competing in the 2012 Olympics. This is quite an unusual situation to be in considering that I grew up in Chesterfield, went to Brookfield Community School and loved playing netball and doing athletics at Queens Park Annex. Although my occupation is not typical of a Chesterfieldian, I have no doubt in my mind that it is my upbringing in Chesterfield that got me where I am today.
I started fencing around 14 years old at Wingerworth Fencing Club, who welcome, encourage and nurture everyone who comes through the Sharley Park doors, to embody and love fencing as much as they do. Their love of the sport (and their lifts to various national competitions) inspired me to keep fencing despite GCSE’s, A Levels, Pizza Hut shifts and the bright lights of “chez vegas”.
Brookfield also supported me, finding funding from Derbyshire Sports Council and giving me free use of Brampton Manor for fitness and the Sports Hall for lessons during lunch time.
As I moved to Manchester to Study Sociology at University, despite representing Great Britain on the International Junior Circuit, my funds began to run out - but Chesterfield provided for me once again. My friend’s sister’s friend (in true Chesterfield style) who worked at Steria Ltd (behind the new NHS Centre) offered me sponsorship after I became Senior National Champion, and opened the door to a whole host of new opportunities. I was then able to compete at the Australian Youth Olympics 2009 winning a bronze and gold medal, the Junior Commonwealths 2009, winning a gold medal, and The World Student Games 2010. I was then put on the senior national team and have competed at two World Championships and one European Championship where GBR quarter-finalled in the team event. I am now half way through my second senior international season, am ranked 2nd Nationally and have a world ranking.
With my move down to London in October 2010 and seeing the high standard of Fencing clubs in the South, instead of feeling deprived and disadvantaged growing up away from the centre of fencing, I have realised that without the community spirit of Chesterfield I would never have had the drive to achieve what I have, nor to keep striving to achieve, and I hope to promote my home town further in the run up to our own Olympic Games, London 2012.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)