Rhian Wilkinson's Official Website

RHIAN'S SOCCER JOURNALS:

SINGAPORE STAGING

23rd July 2008

Singapore is a long way from British Columbia. After the excitement of Olympic squad selection we were given a few days to pack up our worldly goods and apartments from the residential camp. However, not all the time was spent packing. As well as our personal training sessions, Amy, D and I took the opportunity to go berry picking. It was a good chance to eat fresh and empty our minds, before concentrating back on task for the Olympics staging camp and the Games themselves.

The morning of our departure was a strange one as we were asked to arrive at the airport for 10:00am, even though our flight was not scheduled until 2:00pm. Consequently, we spent our morning killing time at the airport. Fortunately, several of us on the squad are now Elite members with Air Canada, which allowed us access to the Maple Leaf Lounge. I am not sure what I would have done, if I had not been able to curl up in a comfy chair in a quiet corner. I even slept a little

When we did arrive for the check-in, I had an unhappy moment when I discovered that we had a layover on the way to Singapore. I am not sure why, but I thought the flight was a direct one. It was wishful thinking on my part. To have a long layover is just downright depressing.

The flight to Korea seemed to take forever, but the individual movie screens definitely helped out a little ... although I have to admit that I can't even remember what films I watched. Fortunately, the layover in Korea only lasted about an hour, but this was a busy time for us: We had to pack up our belongings from the cabin; go through a line to have our boarding passes checked; file through security once again; grab a coffee and a change of clothes; and then re-board the aircraft we had just left. At least the cleaning crew had tidied up the 'plane.

This next leg from Korea to Singapore is an exhausting one. By the time we re-boarded, we had been flying and on the go for over 12 hours and we still had another 6 hours to go - yuk!

We arrived in Singapore just before midnight, and we were all extremely tired. By the time we had collected our bags and had the equipment sorted out it was well past 1:00am. Fortunately we have been given a quiet morning and will be able, if we want to, to sleep in until 10:00am. I will want to! Tomorrow's schedule is a relaxed one with only one training session at 3:00pm and the rest of the day free. I am looking forward to lying down, and my butt needs a break from sitting on aircraft and bus seats.

Singapore is a very good place to have chosen for our staging and we are all happy to be back. We were here for our staging at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and we had a good preparation and time here. The people are welcoming and friendly, the city is interesting, the food is good and the air is cleaner than other parts of the world. Our report to the COC about the World Cup staging must have been good, as this time we have the Canadian swim team flying here and training in the same venue.

We have received our playing kit for the Games, and it seems strange to see the jerseys without the CSA sponsors' logos.

It has been a great opportunity for us to get to know some of these athletes from the Canadian Swim team. I always find it interesting to talk to other sportsmen and women about their disciplines, It is often scary to see how similar preparation, training and competition can be for two very different sports. Being in the same venue as the swimmers should make our stay even more interesting. I am looking forward to getting to know these athletes and we will have the opportunity in China to cheer them on to the podium for their medals.