Gold is bling, silver is classy

By Karen on 18th May

Karen in the sun on her bikeNot long over jet lag from the first big race of the season – a World Cup in Sydney. It was sunny in the UK, rainy there, but rain so warm you could bike in shorts, to the sound of surf and exotic birdsong. Ahhh, its hard this job, but someone has to do it.

I was pleased to get two silvers, and disappointed too – mainly because I felt I’d let a stranger down – a drunk one, who staggered up to me and with deep sincerity and a heartfelt stare into my eyes, told me to ‘Beat the Yankee’ – for him, and for his father. Whoever he was, I promise him I’ll try harder next time.

But, as someone twittered to me (yes, I even found time to do that tweeting thing with all the time in hotels between races), gold is bling, and silver is much more classy. I tend to agree. Where would we be if we didn’t have anything to work towards? Where would FfP be if it didn’t have athletes like me to get fitter and faster?!

So now I’m spurred on again, to train harder, try harder, rest harder, eat better…

and as a famous rugby coach once said, “Better never stops” .

Phew, maybe I’ll be glad when the Olympics if over and its time for a rest.

The races in Sydney were the start of a point-collecting frenzy – podium places in races means more points, and more points means more places in next years Paralympics – and so begins a summer season, travelling from race to race, June seeing us racing in Italy, Switzerland, Spain, the Czech Republic and the UK. I like to be ‘green’ and ride my bike, but the racing season is doing nothing for my carbon footprint….

Spring training in Majorca:

Karen Darke training for the GB Para-cycling Squad
by Andy Kirkpatrick on Vimeo.