My Amazing Olympic Adventure Part 1

Our London 2012 Experience with BMW

When I filled out an app on ParkatmyHouse.com's Facebook wall, I did not think for one second that I would end up winning a VIP Olympic weekend to London for two, as guests of BMW...but that is exactly what happened!  The package included two nights at the Four Seasons Hotel in Canary Wharf, a morning at Wentworth Park Country Club, tickets to the Beach Volleyball, dinner at the Roux Restaurant, tickets to the Athletics including the Men's 100m final, a host of official Olympic merchandise and all the food, drink and transport required.  An unbelievable package by anyone's standards!!  Ella was chuffed to be my guest (while my fabulous husband held the fort back home) as we set off to London on Saturday morning to experience first hand the excitement of the Olympics Games!

As we arrived at Euston Station we were met by a BMW chauffeur who drove us to the Four Seasons Hotel at Canary Wharf.  BMW had taken over the entire hotel for the duration of the Olympics and it was teeming with BMW employees from across the world who were all invited to attend. We were given details of which group we were part of and we joined the Italian group on their weekend of ultimate corporate hospitality.  We were also given a bundle of fantastic official BMW and Olympic merchandise including coats, rucksacks, caps, umbrellas and other goodies.  After being shown to our amazing room, with its huge feature window with a view towards the city, we went down to the restaurant for our first meal of our weekend.  All the food and drink we wanted was available to us 24/7.  We enjoyed a delicious mushroom risotto, fruit salad, artisan bread and a selection of fancy desserts.

We had a bit of time before the first outing on our itinerary and enjoyed a couple of non-alcoholic cocktails in the lounge whilst watching the Olympic action on the big TVs that were set up for the event.  Our coach arrived and we headed off to central London to enjoy some fine dining at The Roux restaurant at Parliament Square. At all times we were escorted by our two BMW hosts Becky and Doris who looked after us and lead us as a group to our destinations.

We had a private dining room at The Roux.  Ella and I ended up seated with a group of non-English speaking Italian executive types which was a bit awkward!  However, we enjoyed sampling the world of posh nosh Michel Roux style!  As vegetarians we had different dishes to everyone else.  I don't know if they forgot to prepare us a starter and had to hastily knock something up, but where the carnivores had a beautiful looking crab and caviar starter, we had some roughly chopped raw tomatoes in a bowl!  Surely not an original Roux recipe??  The main of roasted artichoke and the chocolate cremosa dessert was however wonderful and presented exquisitely!

After our meal we walked to Horse Guard's Parade to attend our first Olympic event, the Beach Volleyball. It was a lovely walk and the weather was lovely, but like an idiot I had new shoes on which rubbed like hell leaving me hobbling...thank goodness for our BMW host and her stash of Compeed!

The Beach Volleyball arena was so impressive.  The atmosphere in the place was very reminiscent of the American heritage of the sport.  Lots of Mexican Waves, crowd participation with chanting and clapping, a troop of scantily clad dancers who came on between each break in play and lots of great music!

It was real entertainment and the crowd was fantastic.  We had a group of Americans in front of us who were fans of the US men's team of Rosenthal and Gibbs.  Watching their enthusiasm and the way they leaped to their feet dancing and cheering after every point was such fun! Both the American men's and women's teams won through to the final eight knocking out the Russian and Dutch teams.

While we were watching, news came through of Jessica Ennis winning gold and we enjoyed our first Team GB moment when the Brits in the crowd went wild!  It was so moving.  News of the 10,000m and long jump successes were also announced and were met with similar stamping, cheering, chanting and clapping!  Amazing moments.

We got back to the hotel at midnight and with a 6am start planned for the next morning we hit our incredibly comfy beds in our very plush room straight away.

Part two to follow....

Celebrate Their Success #PGRaisingOlympians

I can only imagine how the mums of the sportsmen and women in Team GB must be feeling right now, knowing that in a few short weeks their children will be competing in the Olympics.  Being watched by a global audience of millions, this will be their opportunity to show the world what they can do.  A culmination of years of being nurtured to become the best they can be.

Our children won't all become Olympic athletes, but each and every one of our children will have their own unique dreams and ambitions that they will strive to achieve, and it is our job as parents to support them, cheer them on and be proud of their achievements.

Being a mum of five means I have had plenty of moments where my heart has swelled with pride at the achievements of my children.  From the moment that each of them were born, every milestone has been celebrated.  I have always tried my best to encouragement them and facilitate them with what they needed to succeed in what they were setting out to do.  Whether that meant putting a spoon in their chubby hands for them to take their first independent spoonful of baby rice, or helping them to put together an application for university, I have relished my role.   I feel so honoured in that I get to help my children become the best version of themselves that they can be.  I won't take credit for their success, but to know I played a part is a humbling experience and one of the most amazing aspects of being a parent.

P & G have made eight documentary style videos of a selection of Olympic Mums talking about their children who will be competing in London this summer.  They are really emotional and I shed a tear or two, especially at the mother of Paralympian Ben Rushgrove talking about her son's achievements.

My children have all filled me with pride so many times, but I want to share a few of the achievements of my older children here in this post.  You won't find any tales of Olympic Gold, but all my kids are winners in so many other ways.

Megan is just 20 years old. Within the last month she has graduated from the University of Manchester with a 2:1 in Business Marketing and Management.  With her heights set high she began job hunting and has already been offered a position as a Marketing Executive for a company specialising in healthcare.  With a job offer under her belt, she has found a swanky and modern flat in the city centre that she will be sharing with her equally motivated and ambitious friend Abi as they embark on their new life as a couple of young professionals in a vibrant and exciting city.  The possibilities are endless and I am so immensely proud that Megan has the tools and the go-getting personality to achieve exactly what she wants to achieve in life.  Plus, she still phones her mum everyday!

Megan and Ella

Ella has just finished her GCSEs and got herself a place in a really impressive college to study her A'Levels.  She wants to improve her education by studying subjects which were not on offer at the local school sixth form.  So she is prepared to travel for an hour on the bus twice a day to achieve her goal.  Given that she sometimes struggles with change, this is a massive step for her and I am so proud that she is thinking to the future and creating opportunities for herself.  And she continues to be a wonderful musician, sharing her love of music with her friends and family which brings so much joy to us all.

My eldest son Joe's attitude to his job and his desire to succeed in the workplace has always impressed me and made me proud.  He never wanted to take the academic route through life and has instead worked his way up the employment ladder using his personality and his determination to his advantage.  And now he is about to become a dad he has really buckled down and made some 'grown-up' decisions to better the life of his family.  A couple of weeks ago he moved house to provide a better home for his girlfriend, himself and for their baby.  He has stepped up to the mark like a real man.   His girlfriend is suffering with terrible sickness in her pregnancy which is not improving.  They are not having an easy time at all but they are coping admirably through a difficult phase in their lives.  My once little boy and my first born son has done me so proud!

Having Fun In Joe's New House

I will always be the number one fan and most tireless supporter of my children's endeavours.  I will be cheering them on from the virtual sidelines of their lives giving them whatever I can to help them succeed.  I will provide love, support, advice and practical help at every step.  Even as my eldest three children become the amazing adults they were always destined to become, my role as their mother does not diminish.  Instead it evolves as I see my children taking on new responsibilities, achieving new goals and planning their own futures.  I am as proud of them now as I have always been.

I love that at the same time that I am preparing my youngest child, 3 year old Freddy, for his next big adventure in life and taking pride in his pre-school milestones, I can also help my eldest son prepare to be a parent himself.  And as 9 year old Kizzy receives yet another glowing report at school, I can also witness my eldest daughter graduate with honours.  I love being a mum to my five children and I am so proud as I celebrate their successes!

This is my entry for the #PGRaisingOlympians Celebrate Their Success Linky, sponsored by P&G.

Wear It! Wave It! Win With It!

Official Team GB Olympic and Paralympic Supporters' Scarf by Next

Next have launched the historic must-have for the London 2012 Olympic Games.  The stylish scarf has been designed as a tribute to Team GB and is a lasting iconic memento of this momentous occasion.  It is a statement of support and involvement.

The intricate patterns incorporated in the scarf represent the athletes, the events, symbols of our nation, representations of the supporters, the date of the Olympics and a GB map.  It is truly a piece of art.

Available as a 90cm or 50cm square, the scarf can be worn or waved with pride.

There is also a Paralympics design representing the 'talent, pride and determination' of the GB team with 'ice in their minds and fire in their belly'.  The hand painted lion symbolizes this, and the sixty hands represent the sixty million supporters of our greatest team. The large size costs £10, the smaller size costs £5.

Everyone purchasing an official Olympic or Paralympic scarf from Next can post a photograph of themselves wearing it to win prizes, including hugely coveted Olympic London 2012 tickets.

Check out the Wear It! Wave It! Win With It! page for more details.

Next sent me a scarf to try out and here is how Kizzy wore it!

All profits from the sale of every scarf go to support our athletes in the quest for Olympic and Paralympic glory.