The Corona Virus affect on athletes
With the Corona Virus lockdown in place, most of us are reeling from our gym or sports clubs being closed, but how does it feel for full time athletes? We find out from three athletes who tell us how they get by day to day, seeing light in this dark situation and finding opportunities to help others in these trying times.
Greg Cackett
Greg is a former 100m and 200m sprinter tuned brakeman for Team Bobsleigh Brad on Team GB –
So operations for Team Bobsleigh Brad are on pause just like everyone else in the world right now! We had grand summer plans of basing ourselves in Bath with a rented team house, to get as much quality crew training in ahead of an important pre-Olympic year. Now, obviously, those plans are on hold until normal life is ready to be resumed. The main difficulty it poses for us, being a self-funded outfit, is the current pause on all sponsorship efforts. People aren’t wanting to invest money for obvious reasons and we only have so much to see us through the next few months. It’s a tricky time, but it is for everyone.
We’re all doing our best to keep ticking over with training, (any avid Instagram followers will note our exemplary garden lifting sessions!), and we’ve all put ourselves on the NHS volunteer scheme to make sure that, should we be needed, we’re there to help.
The 2020 sporting calander post COVID-19
We hope everyone is following government guidelines and staying safe out there. For now, sport is not essential and we will endeavour to do our bit for those who, currently, aren’t in the the same health that we are blessed with. Sport will return, many people’s loved ones will not, and we do not take that for granted.
Stay healthy and be safe,
Greg Cackett OLY
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Lucy Shuker
Lucy Shuker is a 3 x Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Player and Double Paralympic Bronze Medallist, Rio 2016 & London 2012. Lucy is also an old friend of the team here –
It is very strange times indeed, I think you really just have to react and adapt to this new situation that we all find ourselves in. The most important thing is to follow the government guidelines but in and around that I am just trying to stay fit and active through home workouts and taking each day and week as it comes at the moment.
The tennis calendar has now been postponed until at least July and with the Paralympic announcement last week that the games have been postponed until 2021 I think athletes can now just focus on what matters and that is following the guidelines and staying at home to protect the people you love, the NHS and people you don’t know.
Boosting your immune system to avoid COVID-19
David Coleman
David Coleman is a Winter Olympian for Team GB in Bobsleigh. After the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics he wrote a best selling book “Live to inspire” in an attempt to help others through mental health issues as well as to provide some support for athletes and myself with coping strategies. Here’s what David had to say about the current situation:
“Self isolating is tricky, not being able to access my coach as well as facilities. However I see this as a positive time that will allow all of us to learn new skills. I am using down time to learn more about specific areas in my knowledge as well as support others with programming.
As an athlete I try to get my body to adapt to perform a specific skills to the best of its ability. Without specific facilities available this becomes a significant challenge. However much like our bodies we must adapt and overcome in the face of adversity. Training doesn’t stop it just takes a different route for the time being.
Other major sporting disruptions in recent years
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