September 3rd 2024.
The Paris Olympics were an incredible experience for me as a member of Team GB. It was a whirlwind of excitement and I feel incredibly privileged to have been a part of it. Now that I'm back home in Sheffield, the reality of being an Olympian is finally starting to sink in.
Being a part of the Olympic Games is truly special. For two weeks, the entire world's attention is focused on one place, making everything feel more intense and exaggerated. It was a surreal feeling to know that it wasn't just the climbing community watching us compete.
While I was in France, it was hard to fully process the magnitude of the Olympics. But now that I'm back home, it feels like I've woken up from a dream. I went into the Games not knowing what to expect, but it ended up exceeding all of my expectations. The athletes' village was like a home away from home, with a post office, supermarket, hairdressers, and plenty of coffee shops to keep us caffeinated.
As a climbing cohort, we contributed greatly to Team GB's success in Paris. My teammate, Toby Roberts, even brought home our first Olympic gold medal. Hamish McArthur and Erin McNeice also put on strong performances, earning fifth-place finishes. This really showcased the depth of talent we have in our country and made a statement to the world about UK climbing.
One of the most amazing things about the Olympics was seeing the diversity among the teams. It was inspiring to be a part of an environment where different cultures and races were represented. While the climbing community is incredibly friendly, it still lacks diversity, so it was refreshing to be surrounded by such a diverse group of athletes.
The enthusiasm for climbing was evident at the Games, as every session at Le Bourget was sold out and the crowd provided a great atmosphere. It was exciting to see such a strong interest in our sport, and I believe this is just the beginning.
On a personal level, the competition did not go as well as I had hoped. Unfortunately, I had broken a toe a few weeks before Paris, making my preparation far from ideal. I did my best to work around the injury, but not being able to wear climbing shoes or boulder for a month was a major obstacle.
As expected, the boulder round was tough for me. I gave it my all on climbs that exposed my weaknesses and the lack of preparation leading up to the competition. Unfortunately, I finished in a disappointing 19th place. It was frustrating, as I had worked hard to qualify for the Olympics and had spent a lot of time improving my bouldering.
With such a low score from the boulder round, I knew it would be difficult to improve my final rank. But two days later, I put on my shoes again for the lead round, determined to enjoy myself. While I climbed well, I didn't quite show my full potential in that discipline. And just like that, my Olympic competition was over.
Despite not achieving the results I had hoped for, I chose to celebrate my ninth-place finish on the lead route and the entire journey that led me to the Olympics. As a little girl watching the Games on TV, I never could have imagined that I would one day be competing on the world's biggest stage.
It was a long journey to get to Paris, and after 11 years of international competition, I am feeling exhausted. But the Olympic Games lit a small fire inside me, and the thought of redemption in Los Angeles in 2028 is already bouncing around in my head.
However, my focus quickly shifted to the European Championships last week and the national championships coming up this weekend. With the combined format no longer a part of the Olympics, I am excited to get back to focusing on my preferred discipline of lead climbing. It's safe to say that I may have caught the Olympic bug.
As an ambassador for The North Face, I truly believe in their motto of "Never Stop Exploring." The Paris Olympics were just one chapter in my journey as a climber, and I can't wait to see what else is in store for me.
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