Blind date with a twist

I am currently indebted to a few friends and family. Last month was particularly hectic and I ended up only spending a few days in the UK. I wasn't expecting to have such a busy diary so in hindsight shouldn't have planned to renovate part of my flat and attempt to find a new lodger.

After battling a damp stain on the spare room wall for five years, I felt it was time to change tactics and get to the bottom of it. I had tried stain removers, specialist coats of paint and bleach but every time it would return; sometimes days or weeks later. As with most DIY jobs, this became larger and more time consuming than expected. The rubble from removing just one wall filled thirty fertiliser bags. Thanks to my father and a friend it has now been dry lined, re plastered and painted. I wait with baited breath but there's not yet any sign of the damp stain returning - fingers crossed the problem is solved.

The next challenge was to find another lodger to occupy the newly decorated room. I was fortunate to rent it out to a good friend for the past six months whilst he bought a new house so starting from scratch to find a replacement was daunting. Using the usual websites I've had a flow of interest but the problem has been making time for the viewings. Finding a new lodger is rather like internet dating - you both have to like each other except this time there's a building involved as well. I've had to leave this to the character judgement of my friend. I had a temporary lodger move in on Monday whilst I was away and will have a permanent one arrive in June, both of which I am yet to meet.

A double farewell

Last weekend saw two sporting heroes hang up their boots. There were emotional goodbyes for jump jockey AP McCoy's final race at Sandown Park and for endurance runner Paula Radcliffe who ended on a high at the London marathon. Both of these British athletes have dominated their individual sports for two decades and both of their chosen sports must be two of the most challenging on the human body.

AP McCoy has now held the title of Champion jump jockey for twenty consecutive years. He's won all the major jump racings titles and he's also broken most of the bones in his body. It's hard to imagine the dedication needed to return to the saddle after each of those major falls; one so severe he had to learn to walk again. There's also the constant starvation required just to make the weight for each race and during the season that's most days of the week. I had the privilege of meeting AP McCoy the year he won sports personality of the year. He may be small but I can't describe how physically and mentally tough he must be to have achieved such results.

Those of you who were lucky enough to run Sunday's London marathon are probably still feeling the after effects. If it was your first time, I'd guess you've a new found respect for the professionals who complete the whole twenty six miles at about my two hundred metre pace. It was wonderful to see the support for Paula Radcliffe as she ran her final marathon "for fun" faster than most of us can ever dream of running it. It's hard to believe she still holds the world record after twelve years in a sport that is dominated by the African nations - what an incredible career she has had.

The commitment both AP McCoy and Paula Radcliffe have shown in such tough sports is unbelievable and what an inspiration they are.

For Queen and country

Where is home and what does it mean? This week a breaking news story triggered me to question the importance of home. Aaron Cook, the world number one taekwondo player represented his country of birth, Great Britain, in the Beijing Olympics but now with just one year to go until the Rio games he has decided to change nationality. Apparently Aaron had no previous connection to Moldova, the country who he has now chosen to represent going forwards. It has been reported that he will receive a significant financial incentive although I believe there must be much more to this huge decision than just the money.

It's a very difficult situation for an athlete and any National Olympic Committee; in this instance I  know it is not a decision that either party took lightly. Any athlete has the option to change nationality but they can only compete at the next Olympic Games if both the old and new nations agree. This is a great loss to TeamGB especially as Aaron had just been selected to represent Great Britain at the upcoming European Games in June.

I am regularly asked where I'm from or where home is, especially when I'm abroad. I can't imagine suddenly changing that answer even if it did open up huge opportunities. Within my sport of modern pentathlon it is a regular occurrence to see athletes changing nationalities. One of my competitors changed from Lithuanian, to Belarusian and finally to Russian, and that wasn't due to multiple marriages. There are a few last minute changes being pushed through at the moment - the pressure is on as time is limited with Olympic qualifying already underway.

I feel it is sad when money and politics interfere so obviously with amateur sport. I'm extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to represent my country of birth for the whole of my international career.

Gelato!

Being a tourist in Rome could quite easily become expensive and even stressful if you don't plan wisely. I heard a couple of horror stories before I headed out and one that resonated with me was the extortionate price of ice cream; a treat I was certain to have most days. For some reason I distinctly remember a story in a national paper of a British tourist who was charged twenty euros for an ice cream in the city - roughly eighteen pounds at the time!

On her long and helpful list of things to see and do our host suggested we try what she called the "best gelato in Rome". Surely an essential stop for a self-confessed ice cream lover? I was typically sceptical especially when she told us it was just a one minute walk from our B&B. The gelateria was indeed dangerously close to where we were staying and seemed incredibly popular, with Italians and not tourists like ourselves.

Another indicator that the gelateria was particularly good; the menu which was entirely in Italian. This posed a problem and required me to guess the flavours I had ordered but the real confusion came from the price. The smallest order you could place was for a two scoop cone which would only cost two euros - I couldn't understand how this was possible. I paid my two euros and began the process of guessing the flavours, made all the more challenging as the tubs were under covers. The final product was a cone lined with a fresh melted chocolate of my choice, a scoop of dark chocolate and one of pana cotta with pistachios topped with a dollop of freshly whipped double cream. I was in heaven.

I obviously had to return everyday to work my way through the flavours and be certain I wasn't dreaming. Ice cream will never be the same again.

Rome

I could have been mistaken for being a pilgrim this weekend  as I headed to the focal point of the European Easter celebrations, the city of Rome. I didn't realise how early Easter fell this year when I booked a mini break to the Italian capital city over the bank holiday weekend. Surprisingly the flights were not too extortionate so I had no forewarning until I started to search for accommodation. I had failed to factor in the school break or the bank holiday.

I began to panic when the accommodation I had been recommended was full and could not think of any other B&Bs or hotels they would suggest; that was until a friend mentioned airbnb.com. I had heard of the service although for some reason had not considered it. Now as I sit in my airy, centrally located apartment I can safely say I've been missing a trick. I was welcomed by the friendly owner who gave me a thorough tour of her beloved apartment, talked me through a detailed itinerary she had compiled and then presented me with some homemade heart shaped brownies.

When I was younger, as a family we would attend the Easter service at our local church but sadly those days have long gone. Spending Sunday in Rome, it was hard not to reflect on the religious reasons behind a celebration that now seems more about eating a lot of chocolate than the resurrection of Christ. I avoided the Vatican for fear of the enormous crowds but visited a couple of smaller churches where I enjoyed the opportunity to reflect. You'll be relieved to hear I didn't miss out on the chocolate either. When I returned to the apartment, tired from a day of walking, I discovered an Easter egg had been generously left by my host.

Back it up

There are a few necessities that we cannot survive without and certain luxuries that some of us think we cannot live without. I hate to admit this but my mobile phone falls into the latter category. I was left in a state of panic in Egypt last week when my phone was stolen whilst working at the Pentathlon World Cup.
I’m aware how lucky I have been with all my travels over the years and until last week I hadn’t lost anything of value. After ringing my number I soon realised it had been turned off by the guilty thief and therefore wasn’t traceable using GPS. The impressive technology doesn’t end there though; I discovered I was able to lock and disable my phone remotely whilst leaving a pleading message for its return. The sad part is that the phone is now of no use to anyone and all the information that was only useful to me has been lost. The message I sent obviously didn’t appeal to anyone’s conscience and now it’s too late as I’m back in the UK.
Thankfully technology helped me to survive and bridge the phone less gap as I made use of the many messaging platforms available through my iPad, until I stepped off the plane and entered a wireless void on my journey home.  I managed twelve hours after landing before I succumbed to the pressure - I ‘had’ to splash out on a brand new iPhone 6. At least I can now relax as I feel connected to the world again. Frustratingly the factor limiting the technology is me, the user, as it turns out I last backed up the data on my phone seven months ago. The moral of this sorry tale: please learn from my mistake and back up your essential information now - before it’s too late.

Drama with the oval ball

Those partial to a bit of rugby have been spoilt over this past weekend. With commentators labelling it 'the most nail-biting climax they have ever seen' the final weekend of the Six Nations  proved to be full of excitement and drama. With the exception of Scotland, the remaining home nations all looked within reaching distance of the trophy at various stages on Saturday afternoon. First Wales won by a considerable margin over Italy to take the lead leaving Ireland and England with work to do. Next up Ireland made light work of Scotland to set the bar high but within England's reach.

At this point I should probably admit I actually only managed to watch the final game live and that was whilst in a restaurant in Egypt, a country that doesn't even know rugby is a sport. England came so agonisingly close before the realisation sank in that we hadn't quite done enough. I was then grateful to be in Africa and able to brush aside the disappointment.

I didn't think my nerves could take any more rugby related tension but then it happened all over again on Sunday. This time it was the LV Cup final between Exeter Chiefs and Saracens which I just about managed to follow via text updates. After a remarkable comeback by the Devon side a penalty in the final minute agonisingly gave the title to Saracens.

Thankfully the modern pentathlon World Cup I've been commentating on in Cairo hasn't effected my blood pressure to the same degree. It was wonderful to see another medal go to one of the British women but aside from that it was an open competition of world class standard that I could sit back and enjoy in the sunshine.