The Event, 28th April 2008
Wow, what a tremendous event! I managed four personal bests out of my five races. On Friday night we had the closing ceremony and a BBQ, which was the perfect end to the Championships.
Memories that will stay with me forever are the Australian swimmer in the next lane in the 50m freestyle, shaking my hand after the swim and presenting me with his swim team cap and his team’s sun hat. Then yesterday, I was chatting to a lady on the train back from Freemantle (or as the Aussies call it – ‘Freo’), explaining what I was doing in Perth and how I’d got on in the event. She proceeded to tell all her workmates and I got a round of applause from the carriage! Not sure if that would happen in the UK?!
Overall, everyone - especially the Aussies, New Zealanders and South Africans - have been so friendly.
Coeliac-wise, we’ve found the best shop for gluten-free products has been Coles supermarket (all over Australia), which has bread (not as good as Glutafin’s gluten-free fresh bread, but ok) and biscuits. Eating out, we've mainly stuck to Thai or Indian food and had a great meal in Freemantle with my coach, Jim, and fellow GB swimmers from Kings Cormorants Swimming Club.
Somewhat embarrassing was a couple of days earlier, when, at my request, Jim checked out a restaurant recommended in an Oz gluten-free eating guide, The Red Herring in East Freemantle. Jim reported back that the service was appalling and the food even worse. In general though, the restaurants have been very accommodating.
We’re now looking forward to the sightseeing part of our trip. Perth and its surrounding towns have so much to offer. In Freemantle, we’ve already visited the Maritime Museum including a tour of a submarine, which was really interesting – as was the trip to Freemantle prison. Next stops are the Perth Mint and Rottnest Island.
To conclude, it has been a wonderful experience meeting like-minded individuals from all over the world. After competing in the Championships, I’ve really got the bug to do more. Jim is already planning my training sessions for when we get home – my next big competition is the GB Long Course Championships in Manchester. But for now, I’m happy to enjoy the rest of my holiday!
Read Mark’s final blog as he reflects on his Aussie experience on 15th May.