27 August 2008

Danny Nobbs looks forward to making his Paralympic debut

I had feelings of elation, anxiety and exhilaration as I got the phone call confirming my selection for Team GB for the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.  Everything that I had worked towards over the last 6 years had come to fruition.

Recently I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I’m training really hard now that I have made the team – I think if I had left it this late to be training hard I really should be worried!  As I have progressed in the sport, it quickly became apparent to me that athletics (as with many other sports at this level) is a lifestyle, a way of life. 

Everything from sleep patterns, diet, what and when to drink (or not to drink!), training schedules, sports massage and physio…it all affects your final performance and although how you train has a massive impact, it is only part of the whole picture.

As I make my final preparations to leave for Macau on the 30August, it won’t only be my own dedication and determination that has given me the opportunity to perform on the greatest stage in sport.  The support I have received has been nothing short of overwhelming. 

I know that this support won’t end when I get on the plane to Beijing, I will have my wife, family and friends cheering me on….somewhere amongst the many, many faces in the Birds Nest stadium!  Quite how I will react to such surroundings remains to be seen…but I am already relishing that moment!

The support I have been so fortunate to receive doesn’t stop at home either as my employers Norwich Union, have been fantastic in backing my progression throughout my time in the sport.  Working on Norwich Union and Aviva’s sponsorship of UK Athletics, my job really does reflect my passion for the sport.

There are so many people that have played a part in me securing my seat on that plane to Beijing – my coach, my sports massage therapist, the engineers that have worked for so long on my throwing frame, Vinnie’s Gym in Attleborough for the endless hours of strength and conditioning training…and that’s just the start of the list!

Already I’ve found myself watching the BBC’s coverage of the Olympics in awe, knowing what it has taken each athlete to make it to Beijing in an attempt to realise their dreams of Olympic Gold.  And to know that I will be out there in just a few weeks time is very difficult to comprehend, but I am ready for the challenge!

Danny Nobbs will compete in the F54 Shot in Beijing on 16 September.