Aussies Finals Day: In just a few short seconds, it was all over!

Being ‘alive’ on the finals day is an exciting experience. I sat in the shade of the big screen waiting to be called for the final. The breeze was warm and it was hot in the sun. The atmosphere was buzzing. Knowing that a few days before the arena was filled with every competitor. Filed down to the final eight, it was now practically empty. For me this made it more exciting.

During this wait a few people joined me momentarily. Lloyd came with his enthusiasm and motivation. Amongst others, Lloyd has been one of my closest training partners and had shared the entire year of training with me. His excitement for me lifted my spirits. Balls sat down beside me. His passion for this sport is so great; he can make you smile and cry at the same time. The final words always so encouraging and filled with wisdom and true meaning.

Van sat on my other side for the last piece of advice. I can’t thank him enough for the work he has put in with me. His energy and enthusiasm were addictive. This was not about what I had to do, or not do. The hard work was done. For now I couldn’t get any stronger or faster, perhaps just wiser. He took me back to remember where I had been. The emotions flooding back, as everything to do with this injury flashed before me. Remembering how hard I had worked to get where I was. The rebuilding process that I had achieved to be here today and in this race. He reminded me that I was the only one who had started this quest for the flag 12 months ago in a moonboot with a ruptured achillies. This didn’t make me better than anyone, you should never compare. But it made me realise what you can archive if you want something bad enough.

To my surprise I wasn’t drawing inspiration from this today. Perhaps in hindsight I should have been. I wanted to look forward and focus on what I could do. Or maybe how good I could do it.

We walked onto the arena and the hot sun pierced my entire body. The heat was scorching. As much as I tried to ignore it, I had probably drawn the worst possible lane. Between teammates Melissa, last years winner and Chanel who’d beaten Melissa at last weeks Queensland titles. This didn’t matter because anything can happen in flags. Lining up on the sand, I drew every inch of energy from the super excited crowd as the air fell silent and we waited for the start.

The whistle blasted and I didn’t miss a beat. When I turned to face the flag, I couldn’t see anyone. But as I stepped out they caved in beside me, I had no option but to change path. Behind Chanel I put the dive in but being in the wrong line I missed by inches. For a moment my heart sank and I was bitterly disappointed. There was no flag for me. In just a few short seconds, it was all over. Walking of the arena I felt sad inside. I am pretty hard on myself in what I expect to achieve. I love flags so much; I just wanted to keep playing! The final seemed to drag on for ages and I watched from the sidelines. Michelle came in third and Melissa winning in a close run off with Chanel (in second). I commend these girls, congratulations to them all. This year had definitely been a hot final!

As I came to reflect on what I had achieved, I pushed the sadness away. I realised how well I had done to get this far and to get back to this level of competition. Eighth in both individual finals and third in our relay, you have to be happy with that. Yes, I was happy with that J.