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We are all home now and digesting what was an amazing period for everyone involved. I will confess I miss leaving my washing outside my door only for it to return neatly pressed the next morning. I also am not a fan of this new found fad called “cooking”, I mean, where is my 20-station buffet?! Travelling with a Special Olympics squad is not easy, you are mentally “on duty” 24 hours for the entirety of the trip and, whereas other sports coaches involvement may end when the athlete steps off the field of play, our volunteers support athletes from waking to going to bed and everything in between

I hope you’ve all noticed through the media how well #TeamSOGB are getting along in Abu Dhabi. While we know that Special Olympics is about far more than just the medals, the guys in the squad have bought into and stuck by the values they themselves set out (below). Thus, they are reaping the rewards. So much so that GB have on a couple of occasions reached the top of the medals table. Again, I should point out that the celebration of Special Olympics competition isn’t primarily on the end goal of winning medals but the power of competition and sport to change lives. It gives a conduit through

Hello everyone. Firstly and most importantly I must right a wrong in the previous blog post. Nicola Turner is indeed coach for artistic gymnastics, not athletics (sorry Nicola, can we be friends again?) So, the opening ceremony has come and gone and I think it's fair to say it was an exceptional experience! Inspirational words from athletes, Special Olympics chairman Timothy Shriver and others; meeting Sebastian Coe was a great experience for many of our athletes and, I think, they feel it gave them credibility as athletes. If you haven’t yet, you can download the ESPN player app and, without

As I sit here it's snowing in parts of the UK and in spite of it being winter here, I’ve got factor 50 sun cream on. Right now, Aileen, myself, Nicola, Karen and Magalie are in the United Arab Emirates - travelling as part of a 180 strong delegation representing Great Britain. We are supporting athletes with intellectual disabilities (learning disabilities) or as they're referred to here, People of Determination, to compete in The Special Olympics World Summer Games. The lesser-known and non-government funded Special Olympics differs from the Olympics or Paralympics in so much as all athletes