Beth's Olympic Experience
Our final article with Beth focuses on what life is like at the Olympics for an elite athlete.
We have all watched the games on the TV and wondered what it is like to live in the Olympic village and compete. So hearing first hand from Beth is a real honour;
"The Olympics is every athlete’s dream and is usually a once in a lifetime opportunity and is the most unbelievable experience ever. It is so different to any normal competition.
When gymnasts normally go to a World or European Championships, it is just that one sport and every team will be staying in a hotel near the venue. The big difference about the Olympics is the fact that it is a multi-sport event and you get to stay in the Olympic Village.
Only athletes, coaches and support staff are able to stay in the Olympic Village and it is one area that no media can gain access to once the Games have started.
Team GB will have an area in the village, which we make our own, whether that is by putting banners up or by putting flags up. We can be staying there for up to 3 weeks so you want to try and make it as homely as possible.
Team GB usually decorate our rooms pretty nice and have some added bits and pieces. As you can see in the photo, in London we got a Pride the Lion bear on our bed when we arrived. You also got to keep the duvet, which was on our bed.
Team GB will have a headquarters area, which is where athletes can get physio or see a doctor.
The team is always kept up to date with a board that tells everyone who is competing each day and what medals the Team have picked up, so that you can track the teams progress.
During the Games the gymnasts do get to know athletes from other sports. You will quite often have dinner with them in the food hall as Team GB tend to set a designated area and ensure that no one is sitting on their own. You will also bump into them around the accommodation block and the Team GB headquarters.
In the village, there are various food halls that we can eat in most places are open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Obviously leading up to a major Championships your diet is really important so this can be a real distraction, McDonalds is always tempting!
There are many other distractions as well, such as an amusement area, cinema and loads of other activities to keep you occupied.
In Team GB if you are competing within the first 48 hours of the Olympics starting you are not allowed to go to the Opening ceremony so you will watch it in the village in your apartment with the rest of your team. It is a real shame we can’t but like I mentioned earlier it is really important to remain focused on the job in hand and then to enjoy the other stuff once the competition is finished.
We do get to stay once our eventis finished and therefore can enjoy going to watch other sports and then get to go to the closing ceremony.
The competition itself is amazing. To be able to represent your country and wear the Team GB leotard is a real honour and I was luckily enough to do it 3 times.
The support that the athletes get as they walk into the arena, is a feeling that I miss; that adrenaline rush and knowing you are competing in the biggest competition of your life.
I hope this has given you a small insight into the Olympics and I really hope that you get behind all of our Team GB athletes competing over the next couple of weeks and then those who are involved in the Paralympics after that."
