Reflections

It has been 3 weeks since the conclusion of WOC and in the interim we have had the World Games where Ralph, Peter, Megan and Tessa came away with some very good individual and team results.

The fund raising campaign blew most of us away with donations totalling £8,664.50 and with the addition of gift aid this came to a whopping £10,312.50.

Not only did we have great support from home but at WOC its self, and in the run up, there were a number of individuals who were instrumental helping the athletes; Duncan Archer, Liz Campbell, Bob Dredge, Simon and Matt Elkington, Eddie Nicholas, Dave and Sarah Rollins, multiple supporters and many more.

Some athletes have been reflecting on the week.  We concluded the week with 2 top 10s, 8 top 20s and 4 top 30s among which there were multiple personal bests.  Although this reads as a successful list you might read the word 'disappointed' in many of the quotes, this simply illustrates the level of individual and team aims.

 "WOC in Estonia was my second WOC and my second attempt at the long distance. The first being at WOC 2015 in Scotland. WOC 2015 was an awesome and very unique experience, and I was excited to see where I stood internationally after two years of training. The answer was 4 places better, which I wasn't pleased with but after my run on the day I couldn't hope for much more. My main focus the last two years has been to improve my fitness and I have seen improvements. I've also been living in Canberra, which may not be the most logical place for an orienteer, but it does have a lot of things going for it. Doing my winter training in the summer was pretty nice and  the terrain is very different to anywhere I've lived before so I good opportunity to practice different skills. So I have improved in various areas but I still somehow need to bring everything together. The positives of WOC were that I found loads of areas I can improve on and I want to do better. It was really good fun and inspiring to be part of the British Team again so I'm super excited and motivated to train for the next few years.  I'd really like to thank all the staff and the whole British orienteering community for getting behind us all and giving us the opportunity to have a shot at our dreams." Charlotte Watson

"I was initially just the reserve for WOC, so when I was asked to race the sprint just a few weeks beforehand I was absolutely delighted - and even more delighted when I found out just the day before I travelled to WOC that I could also race the middle distance! To then achieve a top-30 in the sprint and a top-20 in the middle was awesome! The fact that I can see things to improve in both races is all the more motivating and has left me really excited for next year! I'd like to say a massive thank you to everyone who supported the GB team!" Jo Shepherd

"WOC is over now for another year and for me it's been a great one. Having 2 decent runs is all you can really ask for! I've come out of WOC with a pb in both disciplines and I'm really proud of that. The support both from the British Orienteering public and the incredible crowd has been overwhelming. I'm now taking a bit of time off competing and keen to just get out training and orienteering because I love it. My brain is looking forward to relaxing!" Jess Tullie

"I really, really enjoyed WOC 2017.  My own races weren't what I wanted but the races were top quality and I had so much fun staying with the team.  I learnt a lot and I'm feeling really motivated for next year - I want to go again already!" Megan Carter-Davies

"One of the best parts of WOC was seeing so many PB results in the team across the week.  Once there's a good momentum its easier to keep it going, so thanks to everyone who supported the team (with cash, good luck messages or otherwise) to set us off on the right track.  I hope we provided some entertainment in our races" Cat Taylor

"The lead into this years WOC felt very turbulent so it was very reassuring to go into the championships with such a wealth of backing and with such a supportive team around.  Although the races were not what I had hoped for there were glimmers of positivity which are already fuelling towards the next set of competitions and winter training." Hollie Orr

"This was my second WOC and I'm pleased to have been able to step it up a level with 13th in the sprint.  With split forest/sprint WOC just around the corner it was really good for me to get my first taste of the forest races this year too. I'm more motivated than ever to find those missing seconds and push into the top 10 next year." Peter Hopkinson

"Really pleased with the long distance, 25th a large improvement on my 35th place last year. I ran technically solidly and well and was alone the entire race, only a few minutes off a top 20position. The relay was unfortunate, lost it a bit in the high pressure situation, something to learn from." Alan Cherry

"World Champs was a bit of a mix for me, I was disappointed in both my individual disciplines but I personally performed reasonably well in both the relays, but that really doesn't matter when the team doesn't get the result you want. Now while that might sound fairly negative I have actually learnt a lot about how I want to prepare for WOC next year, and also learnt about what kind of training will be required during the winter." Ralph Street

"As  spectators, WOC was an amazing experience. We arrived to the excitement of the sprint relay. There was a heady mix of anticipation, in-trepidation and as a spectator wonderment at the courage, strength and pure grit of all the competing athletes.  The following days of competing did not disappoint. Amazing locations which as well as testing the WOC athletes , did so for many ordinary competitors who battled with the incredibly tough terrain.  Estonia although relatively flat had forest coverage so thick at all levels from the ground up that it was often impossible to see any features through the thick canopy.  For all GB WOC athletes competing there were highs and lows, as they all gave their best in the different disciplines. The GB athletes had a very loyal group of supporters throughout the competition, providing encouragement in all different ways. They gave their very best to support the athletes who had strived so hard to reach the goals. We thought they were amazing and the whole experience amazing too."  Liz and Robin Orr