104. Diving - Synchronized 10m Platform

Event: Diving - Synchronized 10m Platform 
Date: 6th July 2016 
Location: Waltham Forest Diving Club, London Aquatics Centre 
Cost: £5.00
Rules: The 10m Platform involves diving or falling into the water from a platform 10 metres high. It requires poise and great courage. During the fall, athletes can perform a number of spins, flips and twists before hitting the water at speeds up to 55mph, with as little water disturbance as possible. The Platforms are 10 metres high, and 21ft long with a non-slip surface. The pair of divers must perform five synchronized dives from at least four different categories, with at least one forward-facing dive and one can't be performed from a standing position. The first two dives are assigned a 2.0 difficulty and the remaining three have no set level.   

The Event:

Olympic Gold Medal London 2012: Chen Ruolin & Wang Hao, China

Comments:

Sarah: Before our final diving lesson, I even searched the rules for how to be disqualified for the 10m Platform event; so eager was I to get out of it! After being too scared to do the individual dives, there was no way we were going to do the synchro dive. I haven't even got my arms positioned correctly in this picture. Oh well, we'll chalk this 10m Platform experience up as an incite into our own limitations. 

Ellie: We're writing these updates a little while after the experience and I feel like saying that one day I'll manage this 10m dive. In reality, as soon as we get to the top of the board I felt totally sick and so it is really unlikely that I'll ever manage it but it's been great to join a diving club and have some training in something I really enjoy so you never know.... except I do... but maybe... obviously not... maybe?

103. Diving - Individual 10m Platform

Event: Diving - Individual 10m Platform 
Date: 6th July 2016 
Location: Waltham Forest Diving Club, London Aquatics Centre 
Cost: £5.00
Rules: The 10m Platform involves diving or falling into the water from a platform 10 metres high. It requires poise and great courage. During the fall, athletes can perform a number of spins, flips and twists before hitting the water at speeds up to 55mph, with as little water disturbance as possible. Each dive has an assigned degree of difficulty, upon which their score is based, along with the ease displayed by the athletes. The Platforms are 10 metres high, and 21ft long with a non-slip surface.  Women must complete five dives, with no limit of difficulty. The five dives can be picked from the following categories; Forward, Back, Reverse, Inward, Twisting and Armstand. 

The Event:

Olympic Gold Medal London 2012: Chen Ruolin, China

Comments:

Sarah: This was it. The big one. There were many, many doubters that we'd ever complete this. Over the last four years, we've tried to remain optimistic (or naive) and entered in to our lessons with Waltham Forest club with high hopes. Not 10m high hopes though. Following our 3m Springboard events, I was under no illusion that I would ever get off the 10m Platform. Look at it! It's ridiculously high. I was hopeful that I might find someone to push me off the 5m platform, and would enthusistically chalk that up as a success. We joined the club for their dry-side training and a couple of lessons in the pool attempting to master different dives. I was pleased to force myself off the 3m Platform but otherwise, I just wasn't able to progress any further. Despite our nervousness, the club were sure we'd be able to do the 10m, but I can categorically say I will never voluntarily jump off that board! I have huge respect for anyone who can do it - and there were people flinging themselves off as we cowered away. We managed to get ourselves up on the board, but were very glad to return to dry land. We tried. We failed. But we gave it a good go, and pushed ourselves to the limits of our courage. 

Ellie: For some reason I thought this one would be fine. Not easy, but doable. As soon as we stood on the 10m platform I knew that it wasn't going to be the case. It is completely terrifying. One of the things that I remember from the London Olympics is a very green looking diver who had misjudged his dive and dislocated his shoulder. If a highly trained individual can get damaged like that then a complete idiot novice like me would stand no chance. I'm really pleased with the progress I made with Waltham Forest, my technique is loads better after just a few sessions. Although I doubt I'll ever get off the 10m platform I would love to continue learning. 

102. Modern Pentathlon

Event: Modern Pentathlon
Date: 12th March 2016, 2nd & 6th July 2016 
Location: Dacorum Modern Pentathlon, Hemel Hempstead & Brooke Farm Stables, Alresford & London Aquatics Centre. 
Cost: £40 
Rules: Over one day, competitors epee fence against every other athlete before moving on to swim 200m freestyle, then ride a horse over a 12-jump course. After the first three events, athletes total scores are converted to a time handicap which determines starting times for the combines run and shoot. During the final two events, athletes shoot a set of five targets with a laser pistol within 70 seconds, then run 1000m and repeat three times. The winner is the athlete who crosses the finish line first.  

The Event: 

Results:

Olympic Gold Medal London 2012: Laura Asadauskaite, Lithuania

Comments:  
Sarah: 
Day One- The things we do for this Challenge. After an incredibly busy working week, I dragged myself out of bed at 6.30am and we drove to the depths of Hemel Hempstead to join the Modern Pentathlon club for the Eastern Region at one of their training sessions. We kicked off with the combined laser shoot and run element; we did ten laps of the track (a total of 4000m; 1000m more than the Olympic athletes!), pausing to shoot our target at the end of each lap. I tried to hold my breath and shoot to get as steady as possible (not that this had much effect on my aim!), and we were told afterwards that it's best to arrive and shoot as quickly as possible whilst your heart rate is still rising. After lunch, we stepped up to the piste for some fencing. It was interesting re-visiting this event, but it's not one of my favourites and I was ready for the metaphorical final whistle two hours later. After the sweaty matches, it would have been brilliant to jump in to the pool for the final event of the day, but unfortunately I'm still unable to get the operation wound on my leg wet, so we had to call it a day. As the club doesn't do the horse element of Modern Pentathlon (surprisingly few clubs in the country do...our nearest is Yorkshire!), we'll stretch our competition to a second day later in the year when we can complete the Show Jumping and Swim elements in the same day. 
Day Two & Three- Well, it was the plan back in March to complete the final two elements in one day, but bad scheduling meant we had to spread them over two days! We completed our horse element in our lessons at Brooke Farm Stables; walking our horses over a course of 'jumps', and a couple of days later visited the Olympic Pool for the 200m swim. Although we've had a bit of a dis-jointed experience of the Modern Pentathlon, I've enjoyed the variety of sports involved and have way more appreciation of how exhausting it must be for the pros completing all of these in the same day. Each event seems so different from the other, and the skill to complete each at such high standard is very impressive. .  .
         
Ellie:
Thank goodness for Sarah and her car and her being able to drive her car and being able to drive her car at 7am. We began this event in Hemel Hempstead and finished a few months later with our horses and swimming nearer to home. It would be a real test of stamina to complete all of these events on the same day and I look forward to checking in on the event during Rio 2016. 

Run: Never my strength, but I did like the combined nature of this part of the Mod. Pen. as I'm going to term it. To make the Mod. Pen in general and the run and shoot in specific, more interesting to watch for the spectators, the run and the shoot were combined in 2009. Some say the event should be renamed the Tetrathlon... but that is a proper tongue twister! 

Shoot: I really enjoyed the shooting element to the Mod. Pen. It was interesting to use a new type of gun, the laser, and good to hear the different knacks needed to succeed. I also liked that you aren't penalised as such if you miss the target. You can shoot as many times as needed in 50 seconds to reach 5 on target shots with the benefit coming from finishing quickly to continue your run. 

Fence: I really did enjoy fencing. It was nice to revisit the sport and to see what aspects of the training had and hadn't remained in my brain. Enough that I don't think I disgraced myself which is all I ask! 

Horse: After a bit of a delay we picked this event up again and completed our riding/jumping. I'd never ridden a horse before and the mod. pen and equestrian events have been a valuable way to dispel my horse anxiety. 

Swim: After our long distance outdoor swim a few weeks ago this 200m swim seems like luxury and a nice, gentle end to an odd and out of the ordinary event!

101. Equestrian - Dressage

Event: Equestrian - Dressage  
Date: 3rd July 2016 
Location: Brook Farm Stables, Alresford Essex    
Cost: £26 each per lesson 
Rules:  The team and individual competitions use the same result. There are three phases with the last only being used for the individual event. Dressage is a highly skilled form of riding performed both in exhibition and competition. The horse and rider are expected to perform a series of movements from memory. The horse should react smoothly to minimal comands from the rider. The competition consists of a series of individual tests with increasing levels of difficulty and are performed in an arena with letters positioned around to specify where movements are to take place. Judges score each movement on a basis appropriate to the skill of the test. 

   

The Event:

Results:

Olympic Gold Medal, London 2012: 

Individual: Charlotte Dujardin, Great Britain 

Team: Hester, Dujardin, Bechtolscheimer, Great Britain.  

Comments:  
Sarah: It was surprisingly achievable to put together a beginners dressage performance. We were taught a routine that consisted of us moving the horse in different directions between letters hung around the arena, performing 's' shapes, walking the horse on loose reins, stopping at specified points and walking on again. We were also taught how to command the horse to walk sideways and turn 90 degrees on the front-foot. My horse Bella, and trainer Jo, showed lots of patience as I tried to remember the instructions, and at points it seemed Bella remembered more than I did.  

          
Ellie: Dressage has been a really interesting lesson in the relationship between rider and horse. We have learnt more about how vital it is to be a relaxed rider, how precise and firm each command of the feet and hands needs to be and, specifically with Dressage, the finesse that you are looking to achieve with each detailed movement. Our routine was simple for our novice riding abilities but the result was very interesting to watch and to be involved in. The feeling of movement when Rudi walked sideways was particularly interesting and, being a fan of ceremony, I liked the end salute to the judge and the pat to the horse to say 'job well done'! 

100. Equestrian - Jumping

Event: Equestrian - Jumping 
Date: 2nd July 2016 
Location: Brook Farm Stables, Alresford Essex    
Cost: £26 each per lesson 
Rules:  The Jumping event has both individual and team competitions. There are five rounds of jumping conducted in two stages. The first three rounds are made up of qualifications. The second and third rounds are also used for the team event. 
The course is held over show jumping obstacles; including verticals, double and triple combinations with many turns and changes of direction. The goal is to jump cleanly over the set course within an allocated time. Time-faults are assessed for exceeding the time allowance. Jumping faults are assessed for knocking down posts and refusals from the horse to jump. Horses get a limited number of refusals before being disqualified. 

   

The Event:

Results:

Olympic Gold Medal, London 2012: 

Individual: Steve Guerdat, Switzerland. 

Team: Brash, Charles, Maher, Skelton, Great Britain.  

Comments:  
Sarah: When we started the challenge, we swore we wouldn't leave the horses to the end. And with two months to go, we've pretty much managed it! We've both been really nervous about the horse events, and were unsure how we'd be able to complete them. Luckily, Jo from Brooke Farm really got what we are trying to do and has found a way of enabling us to conquer beginners version of the equestrian events. We were thrown right in to it with the Jumping. Or in our case, stepping. We had a really good introduction on how to handle the horse, and how to relax in the saddle, before completing a multi-'jump' pole-course; steering our horses (Bella and Rudi!) around the paddock. It was definitely less terrifying than I'd been expecting, and six hours later have just about regained the feeling in my bum and thighs. 

          
Ellie: Either me and Rudi had a natural telepathy or this horse knew what he was doing. I imagine it's the former even though this was the first time I've ridden a horse. Learning to control a cheeky horse is very satisfying and when coupled with a course and some 'jumps' I can really see how people get into horse riding. We were talked through a circuit and integrated some poles to jump over. We were able to steer the horses using voice, reins and feet and I was surprised at how those commands became fairly natural. I also like to think that Rudi and I connected and that he enjoyed the daft things I was saying to him but he was probably just humouring me.