Which way to Woolwich Barracks?

Well, well, well... it's been a funny old year and I haven't blogged much but as many you of you will by now know, I have been selected to represent my country at one of the greatest sporting shows on earth, and a home games to boot. Since the day Sandy Gregory said to me 'you might classify for the disabled squad' it's been a rollercoaster of epic proportions.

I vividly remember the first camp I went to to be classified... Thanks to Helen George I was given the opportunity to be seen by Tim Hazel during one of her Talent ID weekend (it's all HER fault! :) ). I remember Tim's supportive comments, but what was most interesting was my reaction to being classified disabled by Pauline Betteridge... I'd never considered myself disabled... you see, few disabled people do! We get on with life, keep taking the painkillers, and make the best of what we have to work with and try to be as 'normal' as possible. Once classified I had to accept my issues... it was a bitter sweet moment... yay! I'm disabled!... oh...

I vividly remember the first time I wore the GB top. Proud as punch and twice as happy. I shot like a twat that shoot. I lost solidly in the first head to head match. Game over... I was so upset. I felt like I'd let everyone down, my team, my coaches - how naieve I was... nobody cared that much but me. It simply meant too much to me. I got a good talking to from my good mate and fellow archer Mick Beard (he's on here somewhere :) ) I've never forgotten the time out he took to put his arm around me and kick me verbally in the ass.... it meant a lot, and still does.

I remember too the time I went to the FITA coaching conference in Korea. We visit Seoul and went round the Olympic Museum in the Olympic Park there... the hairs on my neck stood on end and I decided there and then I wanted to do this, be part of the greates sporting show on earth.

Mick went on to Beijing and I didn't because AGB (or certain senior people in AGB) didn't want to take the risk on me not getting an international classification... (despite the fact that others had done it before me) I got it in June that year, but by that time AGB and their preparations for Beijing had moved on without me, but I didn't lose faith in the dream.

From that point on I gathered good people around me. Positive people, people who could help me. I found that help was out there, but was rarely brought to me - I had to dig, ask questions, be a bit cheeky and get what help I could by hook or by crook.

Anyway - long story short. This year I was invited to the selection shoot for London. The scary part began. My first selection shoot was a disaster. I shot poorly as I was ill. My wife had been ill all week and I was fated to get it. I finished day 1, 60 points behind 3rd place. they cancelled the second day due to extreme weather, and I was never so glad. I could barely stand let alone shoot straight. Someone somewhere was looking out for me!

Selection shoot two was 'interesting'. I shot average on day 1, but the guy I needed to catch, David Gardner, a good friend and good archer, shot a blinder! So I dropped to nearly 100 points behind!!! I felt like it was game over. I took myself away that evening and played Half Life 2 for 4 hours... I killed things and blew sh*t up. I felt sorry for myself, but I wasn't ready to give up.

I was frustrated as I'd beaten all the guys just weeks before. I KNEW I could do this. I knew I was capable of being the best in the team. I'd done it the year before in the selection shoot for the Worlds, I wiped the board on that occasion, and I wasn't done yet.

Day 2 I shot well. I got my head down and just worked the arrows. I won the majority of my matches. I went from 100 points behind to 30 points behind. I got more points than all of the guys I was shooting against - this was the determined, never give up, me. I was knackered, sore, tired, losing the will to live, but I fought for every point, every match.

I left the range that day happy that I'd done my best. I'd given 100%. I'd given the head coach a headache. I was still behind, but I'd shown my mettle in the head to heads - and that's where medals are won and lost, but I was set in my heart that it wasn't enough and that I wouldn't be in London.

I was just pleased that through this journey, my wife Hazel (coach with the squad) WOULD be there and I was glad that I'd taken her on a journey that would give her that life experience and opportunity. I was ready to go back to the day job.

On Monday I received a phone call from the Performance Director Sarah Symington. I nearly hit the deck when she told me I'd made the team. My first thought was 'WOW!', my second thought was for my good friend Dave Gardner who'd been dropped... bitter sweet.

Since Monday it's been a blast... keeping it quiet, knowing yet being unable to say. Waiting for the day when I could share the news with my friends and family, and yesterday was a day of outpouring of good wishes and good vibes.

Thanks to everyone around me, I'll be going to London! It still doesn't seem real...

Who got me to where I am?

I've been lucky enough to travel to various places with the British Paralympic Archery squad, and I was thinking the other day how much I owe to others who have helped me get where I have... and I decided to start listing them...

Number 1 on the list has to be my adoring wife, Hazel. She's been my rock, my life, my heart and soul for many years and she continues to support me in more ways than I can list in words.

Number 2 has to be my family... my Brother and Sister and their families for believing in me and encouraging me, my mother and father in law and my wife's siblings, they're all an amazing bunch of people and I'm blessed to have them in my life. Some say you can't choose your family, well in my case I definitely would!

Number 3 has to be my good friends - again I am blessed with so many honest, kind, caring people. Real friends. True friends. The kind of friends who would go out of their way for me, without a second thought.

4 - Archery GB of course, and all of the staff and volunteers who make a real difference to the people I share a team with. Coaches, physios, psychologists, doctors, luggers, carriers, pullers, stalwarts every one who have never wavered in their belief in me. And of course my team mates past and present for thousands of hours of good fun and hard work.

Related to that is the National Lottery without who's support, we'd have much poorer facilities and much fewer opportunities to train together, and the British Paralympic Association who help us prepare for the big events.

5 - Scottish Agricultural College and it's staff who made it possible for me to work part time and train part time. My colleagues are always supportive and interested in what I'm doing and where I'm going to next! I'm also a regular in the SAC staff news letter!

6 - Scottish Institute of Sport (and in particular the East of Scotland Institute of Sport) for their support and guidance with Physio, Psych and Strength and Conditioning amongst many other things. A huge thanks to John Marchant my sports psych who turned my world around.

7 - Jim Lawless (author of taming tigers) who's motivational talk started it all for me and made me believe that such dreams were not only possible, but achievable!

8 - Beecraigs country park - for providing me with the best practice range in the country over the last 4 years free of charge and making it possible for me to have out of hours access too! Whatever I've asked of them, they've never said no!

9 - Scottish Archery Association - for providing funds for me to cover travel to test and selection events this year

10 - The Worshipful Company of Fletchers - for providing me with grant funding to buy new limbs last year. They do amazing work for disabled archers up and down the country.

11  - Alistair Whittingham and Edinburgh University Center for Sport and Exercise for providing me with excellent winter training facilities.

12 - Werner Beiter archery products for providing me with kit at discounted prices.

13 - Graham Harris at Clickers archery for providing me with kit at discounted prices.

14 - Arrowhead UK - for letting me try their excellent chestguard way back when, and since then providing amazing customer service.

15 - Pino Reverzani of KFA trading for introducing me to Eli Vanes and providing me with test product.

16 - Balbardie Archers for keeping my feet on the ground, for being a friendly and accomodating club, and for all of the distraction training!

Hmm... that's quite a list and I suspect there's some I have forgotten! Isn't it wonderful to have so many good people around? Thank you one and all!