Thank you for your support this week folks, itās very much appreciated as always but knowing that I am now trying to find my normal many of you have reached out to ask how I am and how you can help or support me, it means so very much.
I have had three meetings with coaches reviewing the education project and I was thrilled to find that where we are at and my thoughts are reflected by them, they are feet on the ground every week in those placing so it does suggests communication is working!
Also looking at plans from 2 years and from 12 months ago I can see some things need changing for the forward planning and there is information that needs sharing with others doing similar work, we can all achieve our best in our shared goals if we share our reviews.
Which leads me to this weekend – Friday and Saturday – 2 days with regions and home nations and the national governing body to discuss several topics, yesterday was a great change to talk and I am looking forward to seeing what today brings, but certainly had the chance to discuss my thoughts around the review of the grassroots projects with AGB and they have similar findings in some areas so discussion of my forward planning and shared thoughts was a great opportunity to touch base.
A fantastic meeting with Northamptonshire Sports and a newly created local charity that has seen us move on a project I have been working on with the activity partnership for the last 12 months – exciting stuff. We are Undeafeatable meeting and the first Childrenās Coaching Collaborative catch-up – fantastic to sit amongst like minded people who want to put the children at the centre of coaching from grassroots to elite juniors and how we can assure their voice is heard. Looking forward to working with these going forward and encouraging others to sign up. March will see their Voice, Choice, Journey campaign kick off so I will be providing so much more information around that.
Hats have arrived and I put lots in the post yesterday, I cannot wait to see photos of them out in the wild, I can testify that they are cosy and warm as I wore mine much of yesterday since I currently have very little hair!! Big bobble hats have done an awesome job of creating what I wanted.
Have a good weekend and let me know how you are doing ā¤ļøš¹
Happy pancake day! How do you prefer them – sweet or savoury – I enjoy both and have no issue with having both in one sitting? Hence the weight I need to loose š«£š
Lots of planning and catch up in this last week means lots of meetings this coming week, excited to hear some of what will be discussed. Today I have the first of two meetings with coaches who work on my projects and I shall be feeding them pancakes š„ they may just be distracted enough to agree to my ideas whilst eating š
So I shall need to think about what to feed those that I shall be meeting later in the week.
I said this may contain a trigger warning.
About 10 days ago I was asked to consider talking/writing about my lived experiences with mental health and suicide. I have agreed and have been putting lots of thoughts down on paper, some things I canāt discuss, some I wonāt – but that still leaves plenty to share. Why? Only by talking can we continue to work to remove stigma and to make it more freely acceptable to talk about issues that we are facing and this might help others when faced with their own darkest thoughts to reach out to someone.
As I have considered what I should include, I kept coming back to how we never know what someone is going through and often those of us are in a dark place are hiding it for various reasons but mainly to protect ourselves or to protect others.
So – take a look at those two images at the top of the page. Taken about 8 months apart – Both versions of me were facing huge challenges but sharing very little.
The first? – I was sharing information and excited about lots of projects and plans but that version of me felt she had a place, a purpose and some worth. She felt loved and cared for and safe. She felt she mattered and that people could see her.
The second? – I had been to the hospital a couple of days earlier, finding myself in a place where the only answer was to save everyone from having to deal with me by simply no longer being here. I didnāt discuss it with anyone but I had it all planned, a small handful of people were aware of some of the challenges that I was facing – most were the same challenges in both photographs, but my worth, value, feeling of being safe had been removed – dramatically so. I certainly no longer felt I added anything other than burden to anyoneās life. Certainly didnāt feel loved. I will be forever grateful that on that day some sent a message that reached in, they didnāt know, but somehow the universe did.
Both show me laughing, I learned many years ago to hide, and I do! Daily! An incredibly small number of people have enough information now to be able to offer me support, 2 outside the medical profession know everything. I shall continue to hide, but that request to consider sharing my experiences feels important and as I sit writing everything down and looking at what I canāt or wonāt share, I do also need to think about who my sharing will impact, namely my children.
But we all see those memes and messages about be careful you never know what a person is going through. Those two photos I think are an excellent example – 8 months apart, both laughing but very very different and both hiding so very much.
So one day at a time and I move forward. Much love to you all and if you are struggling – reach out to someone – I promise you are loved and valued more than you will allow yourself to believe ā¤ļø
If you have been triggered by anything here please visit Mind to find help.
I picked up a bow in the spring of 2018, I had been around ranges for a while since the rest of the house was shooting and had been for a while. I loved the sound of the arrows hitting the boss, still find it soothing and I am happy to sit and read a book listening to that noise.
I had made friends, supported people, joined committees and thought maybe I should give it a whirl. Talked about it with lots of people, I donāt make rash decisions šš«£ I have a number of issues that I knew would likely make my shooting time short, but with some effort I might get 2-3 years. So off I went in the winter of 2017 and got a compound bow ready for after I had completed my planned beginners course early 2018. The issues with my back and shoulder pretty much mean compound is the only suitable bow style.
So there we have the first āissueā a group of established archers who protested – a brand new, novice archer with a compound bow, nope cannot be allowed, so dangerous and time limits were suggested from 12 to 24 months that I should have to shoot an alternative bow style, preferably recurve, to prove I was safe before being allowed on a range with a compound bow!!
I was lucky, very lucky, to have a group of archers and committee members support me and once I completed my beginners course, the offer of a coach – brave enough to stand beside the dangerous prospect of a beginner with a compound bow and so began my journey to shoot, not know what was coming!
My coach was starting his (then named) level 2 coaching course and the candidates needed a āGuinea pigā (my term – donāt be offended) to work with and take to their assessment. So we sat with the paperwork where I had to explain the many issues with my body that were going to be an issue with the goals I had set myself. Or rather he sat, I stood as I genuinely expected at some point during the conversation he would tell me it was a non starter and I would be better selling my bow and quitting. Nope, he never flinched and just said, right, letās learn together!
Without a doubt having someone who never flinches and stands beside you in support is one of the greatest gifts anyone can have.
We worked and I worked hard! My aim was to get to the summer and the club celebration shoot an informal, relaxed environment with a competition and cake! My family however were much more confident in me and advised me that my first competition was booked for April! (I do not advocate booking people on to competition without their permission, my family know me though).
By the end of that first outdoor season I had shot 23 competitions and was shooting for the county – the most amazing and supportive group of archers led by, in my opinion, the best county captain there is. I had fallen in love with a 1440 and enjoyed a Hereford – but these long rounds would see me stand all day, couldnāt allow myself to sit and relax because once I do that the pain hits massively, my relationship with pain, is like everyoneās – personal and individual, but I do not take painkillers because I have watched someone very close to me struggle for many years with addiction to pain medication, I know that there will be a lot of opinion and I am not saying my way is by any means correct, but itās my way.
I am so very grateful to those who have always supported me, laughed with me on the range whilst watching me struggle with the pain and sat with me and held my hand at the end of the day when, after raffles and medals and everything else is over, I lay on the floor and let my body relax and allow the pain in, and as my muscles spasm and seize up and I cannot move they chat with me and sometimes cry with me.
My coach suggested maybe we look at sitting to shoot, no! No – I saw this as giving in, I donāt give in to my pain, I had never done so. I was 43 and had struggled forever, for me sitting was giving in. So on we went. I had set myself a goal at the beginning of the season – a third class, I came away with a second class – happy? No! I had so many scores that were just a handful of points from a first class! So I saw failure – I had surpassed my goal but felt that I had let myself down! Trust me I know what my counsellor has said about this – my mind is and will likely always be my biggest issue.
Indoor season saw me start county coaching and a change of coach, supported back at club by my first coach. Looking at the issues that impact me both physically and mentally. I never shot less than double sessions indoors but often did the triple, I felt that I needed to keep my body capable of that consistency and volume ready to go back outdoors, a double is a few less so in my mind the triple – a few extra seemed obvious and I was having fun. I hate indoors, makes me feel trapped but I fell in love with the vegas and set myself the goal that in 2025 I will go to Vegas and shoot a Vegas for my 50th birthday.
As summer 2019 approached my body was showing the impact of shooting between 800 – 1000 arrows a week and I started to worry I might not manage that 3 years I had hoped for in the beginning. But consistency started to fail as the pain sometimes kicked in during the day despite my best efforts. My coach found himself away for work and I was a little lost, though he also suggested sitting to shoot! What is wrong with these people!
Another 2nd class at the end of summer 2019, again so close to that first! and the worry that the pain would slowly increase and the chance at the first class would be lost forever. So a new coach? First meeting we discussed all the issues and I warned him friend or not, do not suggest that I sit to shoot! He decided it was time to add to the team, and a call was made to our mutual friend who is also a physio. Sometimes you need an expert!
Within a couple of weeks I had my first session with the physio and lots of tears, the NHS who are brilliant have only ever dealt with me a bit at a time but this was a list of everything, what the implications are and how we might approach them.
As the indoor season progressed the issue of the stool was raised and again I refused, but the subject was raised a few weeks later after a particularly difficult shot and I decided that I would data gather, shooting under different conditions over a period of weeks, set days, stood, sat, with and without an agent. I am an evidence based creature and though we thought we knew what the results would show I needed to prove it. I am incredibly grateful to the brave souls who agented and put up with the tantrums because the idea of sitting was still giving in.
Meeting with the physio and looking at the information and agreeing a way forward. Discussion with him and coach as to what we felt the best way to build a stool was and my county team mates set about creating my stool which I hated with a passion, so I must thank them, though I think in truth they enjoyed having a reason to get the power tools out!
So my mind! What do you do when your mind doesnāt want to do what your body needs? Well the county team gave me a talking to, the physio gave me a talking to and a couple of the wheelchair archers who I have agented for sat me down and asked why I wouldnāt give myself what I gave others? Fair question but I wasnāt really in a place to hear it!
As we approached the end of the 19/20 indoor season I found myself struggling to complete even a single round and had several weeks that saw me withdraw part way through competitions, leaving me crying for very different reasons. My last competition on my feet saw me complete the round barefoot, the judge knows me well and knew what was happening to my mental health and with the support of my county team mates I was given very strict rules that allowed me to shoot and finish the session, something I will forever be grateful for š¤ā¤ļøš¹
One of the ānaughtiestā things you can do on a range!
Spring 2020 – covid! Turns out this was great timing for Bert, I named the stool to help bond and reduce the resentment, going out when there was almost no one around to get used to the idea and feel of sitting because once people started seeing me they all had questions and opinions – unless you are supporting someone – hold your tongue!
I have cried on ranges, walked out of spaces and had a torrid time, why? My mind still sees sitting as giving in, people say things and enforce the things in my head! What business is it of anyoneās what a person requires in the way of adaptation to shoot? Consider carefully what questions you might ask and also how you ask them, you will rarely be aware of another personās struggles.
I have learned that as my stool has been tweaked and made to fit me that a substitute can actually hinder me, grateful to the club that leant me theirs when I left Bert at home and it was a valuable lesson.
Outdoors 21 saw me dig in and fight for my right to shoot, as people tried to tell me that if I needed a shooting stool I had no place on the line! What did that determination give me? I finally, by working my backside off to prove myself to others achieved the elusive first class š„³
It was also in this summer that I found flight, I cannot put into words how much I love flight, it allows me to stand to shoot as there is a very small number of arrows. More than that I am surrounded by the most supportive group of archers, which was so important whilst having to justify my right to shoot target archery.
Indoors 21/22 and outdoors 22 saw other things happening and whilst fighting to prove I had a place on the line the other things happening in my personal life saw me come incredibly close to quitting – life, archery – everything – my beloved sport was no longer a safe place for me to be.
Without a doubt the volunteers who I share the range with at national and international events for AGB and the flight archers kept me shooting.
I was invited to attend a field course and had an incredibly welcoming group of EFAA members allow me to share their day, but as I joined them on their journey through the trees (I was not shooting) it became apparent that the unpredictable nature of the spasms I get in my shoulder mean I will not be safe on a field course, but I would most definitely recommend trying it.
The end of the season saw me grind out the scores amongst the tears to hold onto my first class, but sadly not all ranges are now safe for me to shoot at from a mental health point of view, but I do have several ranges with shooting buddies scattered across them and of course March 23 will see Integr8Archery Club start shooting on our range.
My indoors 22/23 season has been suspended due to personal matters within the family but I am looking forward to getting back at it, though there are some issues with my back which has deteriorated further in recent months, that will need looking at but I have those 8 days at Dunster to look forward to and certainly provide the motivation I need to get out there, that and the flight season will most definitely be high points of summer 23.
Why have I shared all of this? If you have read my blogs you will certainly know some of it already.
The aims of Integr8Archery CIC and Integr8Archery Club are to make our sport open and accessible for everyone, to welcome anyone who wants to try our sport, which is – in my opinion- one of the most accessible and inclusive sports there is, but also to support those who want to stay but face challenges to be able to continue shooting.
It has been a privilege to help those who have allowed me to, some have remained as Friends of Integr8Archery where we support each other. In person on ranges, or virtually in the devices we carry in our pockets and one click away so if we wobble a message from the range to one of us at home keeps us shooting.
Some of those I am allowed to support come to me because they have heard about me from talking to someone I have helped, some approach me on a range to enquire about Bert the shooting stool, but some have come to me through my role as regional safeguarding officer and for 9 of those itās about their ongoing wellbeing and care. Please donāt be afraid to ask for help, there will be someone you can trust if you are brave enough to ask and I do not underestimate the courage it can take to reach out.
Without a doubt I am probably proudest of using my experience, physically and mentally to help and support others and I am so pleased that people are beginning to recognise that if you are wearing an Integr8Archery shirt that you belong to a group of supportive, like minded archers and you might be on your own on that shooting line but you carry all of us with you.
If you have followed any of what I have done in the last 2 years you will be very aware of the archery in education project.
Having already worked in schools in small ways the approach by Northamptonshire Sport in May 2021 really allowed me to focus on what was achievable with Archery in schools and we now have archery in curriculum, elective sessions, after school and school clubs depending upon which school you visit. Some have multiple sessions from the list.
However, 1 school in particular, has shared our goals for how we would like to work together and with the community benefiting from the partnership.
Meetings and ideas and discussions around what we can achieve mean that this week we have agreed the partnership between Integr8Archery and Weavers school in Wellingborough.
Weavers have elective sessions whilst we await instructors and session coach training and we can look at the curriculum sessions. The Weavers/Integr8Archery school club will be fully completed in the next few weeks and Integr8Archery Club, which includes the school club, will be shooting weekly at Weavers on Saturdays and Sundays.
There will also be:
A one day event
A two day event
both indoor and outdoors with dates to fit with the county and AGB planned events. We look forward to announcing details of these 6 days of competitions soon and to jointly hosting archers at our competition events. We will be starting with the indoor season 23/24.
These events will be to raise funds for the school archery and also the projects for Integr8Archery which is a not for profit community interest company.
We have been approached by a number of people to provide beginners courses and more community groups who want sessions for various things. We now have a place to host these, some will be free and some will have charges which again will fund the school archery and the projects of Integr8Archery.
We are incredibly proud to see what we can achieve by working together as a school, club and community interest company to achieve our goals for the local community, not least our belief that by offering young people alternative ways to spend their time and provide access to sport we might improve or change lives and hopefully help prevent even 1 person making the choice that sees young people find themselves in a situation that they feel impossible to leave, and we know that unfortunately in current times this situation is leading to increased street violence which is more frequently in the news.
So, we have lots of things planned and more announcements around this partnership in coming weeks but we are very excited about how we may fulfil our goals together.
On a personal level I would like to thank in particular Magnus and Scott at Weavers and Chris and Ben at Integr8Archery Club. There are others who have helped by listening to me at all hours too and my dad was thrilled as we sat on New Years Eve and I discussed how close we were to finalising our plans. I am grateful to have people who believe in me.
We all know that archery is great for mental health. My family have pulled together in recent weeks as we approached the day of dadās funeral but loosing dad on the 3/1/23 was the second huge blow we had faced in a few short weeks as we had lost my uncle, Philip Hinchley on 14/11/22. These two amazing men could not be better role models, their belief in family and friends but also as examples of spending many hours freely for the benefit of others. Dad did this through the Buffs and helped raise money for charity, Uncle Philip was heavily involved in the Woodstock Minor Soccer Association. Their dedicated belief that a person can use their time to make a difference has definitely influenced my belief in the same. I am some times asked why I volunteer so many hours of my time for others, mostly now through sport but in other ways too. Well, because they have both shown me what can be achieved by someone with determination.
Grief has brought so many of us together from 3 countries and on Saturday some of us were kindly hosted by Wellingborough Open Archery Club to shoot together and in some cases have their first taste of our sport. Thank you to those who coached but also the members who took the time to chat and share their love of archery with my family. A warm welcome was extended to us.
Again itās been another week of meetings and planning and online catch ups and the coaches have been sharing whatās happening in the various groups. Exciting to get a message from a coach on Monday to tell me that another 50 children have been taught to safely shoot in their PE lessons – curriculum is such a huge step in the schools who have welcomed Integr8Archery and the archery in education project in to their school.
Whatever you are doing this week, enjoy it and stay safe, but stay in touch too ā¤ļøš¹
Teachers strikes, I am not debating the rights and wrongs of strikes, I rarely air politics publicly – as a result of spending most of my working life employed by central or local government.
My daughter was home on Wednesday as a result of the strikes and we werenāt really sure what to expect for the school club, only 3 out of 15 children attended. Initially seems disappointing however, it gave those children the chance to have some focussed time with their coach to really assess how they were doing. So I am taking it as a positive that we had the chance to have the opportunity to spend focussed time with those 3 children.
The coaches who work with me are amazing and I do not take for granted that their enthusiasm never wavers and they share my ability to sit round a cuppa, discuss any issues arising, bounce ideas to find solutions and then we laugh off those moments where we might have had the urge to scream! They accept my ability to bounce on a sugar high without me actually having had the sugar šš something many find infuriating but they know that itās the root of my ability to think outside the box and that allows me to find solutions to the situations that present themselves.
I am weird and quirky and some see that as terrible, but life has taught me the ability to see things differently to most, the experiences that gave me that ability donāt need to be shared but itās the positive that I take from them and I use it to look at issues that may be a barrier to giving someone the opportunity to try something new. It doesnāt always work but it certainly does regularly and my coaching team embrace my crazy ideas because together we make them work and successfully get bows into hands.
Remember to say thank you to your coach and anyone else who helps you, even in the smallest of ways, to be appreciated is often what gets them back out there on their bad days.
I donāt hide my struggles with mental health, they have been there for many years. They have definitely had good spells and bad spells and since November 2021 there has been an incredible battle for me.
May 2022 was definitely the worst for many, many years.
My focus, with the help of a small number of people is to learn to carry what happened, what caused it and shuffle forward.
The ability to talk is so incredibly important click the link and take a look at the information from Mind, I understand that talking about mental health can be scary but you may make a difference.
A few of the coaches who help make my projects work, I am blessed to have so many who share my goals and I will try and introduce them all over time ā¤ļøš¹
The weather will continue to improve and I will be back out there shooting ā¤ļøš¹
Meetings, meetings and more meetings – I mean, I do like coffee š
I am excited for the things that spring looks to be bringing for Integr8Archery and the projects and I cannot wait to start sharing details properly.
This coming week sees some more planning meetings but I will be north for 11 days so you will likely only get virtual contact nothing in person, but I will be available so please do stay in touch.
Tonight I will attending critical bleed training provided and funded by Off the Street. If you are in the local area they are hosting a number of these events follow the link and take a look at their Facebook page to see if thereās one you might be able to attend. I would ask you to take a look at the knife angel – anti violence page on the website and consider signing up to the campaign, if we each do something small, together we can make a massive difference in giving young people an alternative.
February is fast filling up with meetings and events not just around Integr8Archery and the projects but my other roles, such as safeguarding – which I believe is fundamentally one of the most important things that we can all be aware of, please donāt ever ignore something because you think someone else will act.
Thank you to the friends of Integr8Archery who have been keeping in touch to let me know how their shooting is going, I never take for granted that I am allowed in to peopleās lives to support them and I do enjoy seeing you all out and about and on the shooting line. See you soon.
Missing my pretty arrows ā¤ļøš¹ but I shall be back on the line soonš
I was asked if I am not at home and I am not on the range what I am doing? How can I be committed to my projects?
My initial response was almost rude but I thought about how best to deal with the question, particularly in the face of the last 13 months of things that have been said and emailed or sent on various platforms. In that time I have never once been rude, disrespectful or unkind, to the sender or the people who are ultimately responsible for the issues in broken promises – that I too have been victim of!
My replies have continued to show respect and support to those people and their businesses.
I have repeatedly explained that if you made plans based on promises and ideas given to you by someone we would have been mutually working with, their change of plans and how that impacts you is not my fault and I cannot answer questions that I do not have answers to. You need to contact that person.
So to send me a message today that basically states what I am going through is a suitable punishment for my perceived failure is really not ok, on any level and basic human empathy should prevent such a message even being sent!
Currently my time is spent Friday evening to Monday evening in Derbyshire providing the support that I am giving. I am working my paid employment Monday to Friday with some small tweaks to my shift patterns.
Integr8Archery is still a huge focus, I never stopped.
This week?
Wednesday 7:30 a meeting before work at a school with a willing level 2 coach to help me confirm my thoughts before we both started our paid employment at 9:30. Lunch time meeting to discuss ideas and send emails. Evening sending and replying to emails, arranging more meetings.
Thursday – 5:30 to 7:30 & 22:00 to 23:45 emails, letters, plans being drawn up and sent out.
Friday 2 telephone calls at 19:00 – 19:30
Saturday 7:00 blog update and 20:15 emails
Sunday 8:00 to 9:30 & 20:30 to 21:45 emails and telephone calls.
Monday 19:45 to 21:25 emails, messaging and telephone calls.
Tuesday 5:30 to 7:00 emails, 16:45 to 17:30 meeting with activity partnership, 19:00 to 20:00 meeting with club secretary re membership, sport80 and some future planning.
From my point of view it doesnāt look too bad for someone who isnāt interested, focused or canāt be seen!
I continue to be grateful to those who support me, daily help with projects and keeping me in the loop but I can trust their management whilst I do what my family needs.
I wish you all a safe week and all the best as I continue to do what I can for my business, club and projects.
Please respect my time to deal with the practicalities of loosing an important person in my life and the lives of many others.
I suspect that thank you is going to be a big theme over the coming weeks. If you know me and read my blogs, itās pretty much a constant anyhow, but at the moment my time is restricted and I do not take for granted that people are joining me for meetings at 7:30 or 21:00! Coaches bringing their lunches to meet me in my lunch hour and grab that time to make plans as they support me whilst I am not around, the flexibility that I have always shown to fit in around others is being offered to me with no boundaries at the moment and it is allowing us all to be productive and continue to move projects forwards.
I am missing shooting and I am missing seeing archers in person, so when I get back at it in person in full which I think is likely going to be March, prepare yourselves because this hugger will be catching up on missed hugs šš¤
I am currently working on moving 3 of the schools forward with big plans for each as the children are driving their aims and I am proud that they are enjoying the sport but that they are also setting their own goals, some are going big with their long term aims and some I suspect, may be coaches of the future as they have taken on mentoring others and creating their own little videos on shooting techniques and form, to help new students who are coming on board.
We are back on track with planning the postponed instructors course and some other grassroots groups looking to start their archery sessions, I never get bored of the variety that our sport allows us to offer to anyone who approaches us.
Enjoy your sport and yes, please do continue to let me know how you are getting on, it actually gives me something to focus on and why I am working on all of this, so no, you are definitely not intruding by messaging me šā¤ļøš¹
Going to be a while before I get to shoot properly so maybe itāll be shirt sleeves again by then
2 weeks, 2 weeks since the person who never stopped believing in me left us. He was so interested when I talked about all of the projects my friend and I were working on, so supportive of the massive things we were aiming for by pulling different projects together to form huge plans. I sat in the living room planning things for months whilst chattering to him. Last April I spent the afternoon in meetings in my parents kitchen with solicitors and the national governing body and my friend. At the end of that day so much was ready to go.
When it all screeched to a holt as my friend left, dad was there, telling me I could make things work if I put my mind to it.
That Tuesday in June when I woke up with a plan and a bunch of amazing people giving me their thoughts and support dad was again so very interested. Over the coming months he would chat and ask questions about āyour little businessā. Proud of my aims, grassroots, inclusion, accessibility, schools and of the work I have been doing in safeguarding.
New year weekend we sat and talked of my plans, he had seen the numbers in my week 26 blog and was proud that I was achieving those aims that I had set out to. He wanted to know what I intended to do in 2023 and beyond. We knew that within days he would be gone and that I wouldnāt have his ear to chatter into about āmy little businessā, but my mind is full of his thoughts, opinions and ideas and as I move forward I will be able to hear him still even though heās not there at the end of the phone.
Right now other promises I made him are my priority as I only get one chance to get these next few weeks right and so everything else is getting a short term reduced time from me. Thatās still around 20-25 hours a week! I have some people who are helping me with the load and I am incredibly grateful for their support as I am exhausted.
So, lots of emails, a few meetings and the power of remote communication.
My bow is pretty much set down at the moment but I have pencilled in plans with the right people to pick it back up for outdoors.
My disability sports coach course has had to be deferred and we are yet to find out if this means that I will loose my place, I seriously hope not because it is incredibly important to me and dad was so supportive of me taking it on and what it would mean for the future.
I have some in person meetings this week in my couple of days at home, I am excited for what we are planning in regards to schools and this will see some of those things step up again and again I am grateful to the time and understanding those schools have given me in recent months whilst I put family first.
So, if you are waiting on something, odds are you will be hearing from me by the end of this week and nope, nothings stopped, itās just not at my usual manic speed right now, but donāt worry I am assured that people have seen that kicking in this last few days.
Donāt forget I donāt sleep so you will likely see that emails are sent in the night, no I do not expect you to reply in the middle of the night ššā¤ļøš¹
Take care of you, remember I always love hearing how you are getting on and I will always bounce around my ideas to help think outside the box so donāt stop sending me those messages.
Thank you to my crazy friend for driving in the night to give me a hug and talk dad, archery and remind me I have people, even though I am not used to it or even know how to have people ā¤ļø and to the very many who have messaged and called and FaceTimed š
