Grape Afloat!

[janeyo]

Good Luck!!!

[bobleponge]

Get stuck in girl. Remember, when you get out of that boat you should be fit to be sick, and unable to lift that champagne at the end.
Best of luck

[SarzWix]

There you go hun, sorry it took so long, I still haven't blown the fuzz away

Good luck, I'm sure it will be huge fun, and something to remember for a long time. Well done for pushing yourself this far, a huge achievement! Will be thinking of you all weekend

[lottie dolly]

wishing you good luck pips,look after yourself,will be thinking of you,

[snuffer]

Wishing you LOADS OF LUCK but I don't think you'll be needing it. All that hard work you've been putting in must surely pay off.

Hope you have a fantastic time and enjoy every minute of it. HAVE FUN.

[Flummery]

Have a wonderful time! Love from us all here.

[pipscariad]

Thanks folks! I'm off to bed in a minute - ready for my 3.15 get up

Catch up with you when I get back

[SarzWix]

What you doing still online? Get some kip!!!
And we'll all be behind you, cheering you on (but not at 3.15am )

[pipscariad]

I'm back! Shattered, but euphoric - it was brilliant!!! I'll try to find some decent pictures - all bar about 2 of the ones I took didn't have me on of course , but the journalist from Rowing & Regatta took lots (including the ones of me with GYO ), which he's going to email to me once he's back home. And as more of the team get back, they'll upload their pics too.

It was great fun, really exciting, and damned hard work, much more exhausting than I thought it would be (who was I trying to fool?!) - we've never rowed more than once in any day, so suddenly to do 4 races in just a shade over 24 hours was quite something. Rowing out to the starting line for the last two races was almost more than we could manage, but once the race started we found something somewhere, and managed to speed up. It wasn't helped by the fact that we had a touching force 6 headwind on the way out, and also by the huge clumps of seaweed that wrapped themselves around the oars every so often.

We were third in our final heat - we were only half a boat length from second place, so it was an exciting finish. Of course there were lots of heats higher up in the finals, but the standard of rowing in those is miles away from ours - it was a real eye opener how seriously those teams treat it all, professional sports coaches drawing up training programmes and diet sheets, and rowing every day - makes me feel faint just thinking about it all! Considering how long we have been rowing we were pleased, and we're all determined to improve our placings next year now - I reckon it's like childbirth, you forget the pain afterwards! (I've got blisters on my blisters at the moment, but I didn't notice them when I was racing!)

It feels vaguely surreal to be back home to the usual day to day stuff - and to my much-in-need-of-watering seedlings etc, etc.

Right, I'll try to find a picture or two now for you, but before I do that I just want to say a huge thank you again to all of you for your support (one of you in particular, you know who you are ) and yes, I did think of you all when I flagged a bit, and it did help. Back in a bit.....

[Flummery]

Well done that woman! I'm so glad you had a good time - that's what it's all about really - and a big well done for that third place. Glad to hear you talking about 'next year'!!

[jackie j]

Well done you must be really pleased with yourself that you did it.

[Glutton4...]

Ooooh Congratulations - Well done ! Sounds like you had a fabulous time. Time for a little r'n'r now I reckon, after you've sorted out the plants, obviously!

[janeyo]

I can't wait to see those pictures!

WELL DONE! Worth the suffering and pain and agonising (and that was just whether or not to go lol)

[lottie dolly]

hip,hip,hooray,hip,hip hooray,hip,hip,hooray,
well done you and the team,where did that time go to,seems like only the other day when you were wondering wether to enter or not,bet glad now that you did,what an achievement,again well done pips

[allotmentlady]

Well done hunny, so proud of you, u sound satisified and full filled........cannot wait to hear all the details in 11 days time! Whoooohooooo!