The people of 2012

By Shropshire Life on December 31st 2011

Competing at London 2012 - Alex Gregory

“Final trials are at the beginning of March. For me, these are the worst races you will ever do in terms of nerves and pressure because you’re racing against your own squad, your friends”

Alex, from Broadway, started rowing at Evesham Rowing Club at the age of 16. Now 27, he is on the brink of Olympic glory. He won the World Rowing Championships in 2011 in the men’s coxless four but even with a gold medal around his neck there are no guarantees of a place in the boat for London 2012. Alex lives in Henley-on-Thames with his girlfriend, Emily, and their two-year-old son Jasper.

He says: “There’s a definite buzz around the GB squad. There’s this sense that something really great is about to happen. But we’re not getting carried away. We’re just getting on with what we have to do.

“At this time of year we’re doing a lot of mileage on the water, a lot of weights and a lot of ergos (rowing machines). It’s probably the most difficult time of the year in terms of physical effort. You’re constantly exhausted and you don’t have much energy to do anything else.

“Even though we won at Bled [Slovenia, venue for the 2011 World Championships] you absolutely have to fight for your place in the boat. I need to be as fit and as strong as I can possibly be to get the best seat. There are 24 guys in the squad and they’re all competing and pushing each other.

“In January we go on a training camp to South Africa. It’s the two weeks of the year where we don’t train on the water. We do loads of cycling and weights. We go to some amazing places but all we see is the inside of the hotel and the lake. Ok, in South Africa we are cycling around the countryside but we’re so competitive we’ve all got our heads down trying to get to the front – it’s not like going on a cycling holiday around France.

“In February we go to Italy for
two-and-a-half weeks. That’s tough. You’re living 24/7 with the guys you’re
going to be rowing against at final
trials and that’s when all the irritations come through.

“Final trials are at the beginning of March. For me, these are the worst races you will ever do in terms of nerves and pressure because you’re racing against your own squad, your friends. It’s easy to race against the Germans, the Americans and the Australians compared with that.

“After final trials we’ll be training in our crews for London. It will be a privilege to be rowing in our own country at Dorney Lake. It’s going to be such a major event and the highlight of any sportsman’s career. I’m really looking forward to having my son watching me for once – rather than me racing in a country that’s really hard to get to! And for my parents being able to see me in London, it will be a small way to thank them for all the support they’ve given me over the years.”

The London 2012 Olympic rowing events take place at Eton Dorney
from July 28 to August 4. www.london2012.com/rowing

Volunteering for Bangladesh - Karen Martin

“Coming from Malvern where I live quite high in the hills with views over Herefordshire I am going to find it hard to adjust to Bangladesh which is
very flat”

At the end of January businesswomen Karen, 56, from Malvern will be starting a new six-month job in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Karen a management and human resources consultant (KP & M Associates) has joined Voluntary Services Overseas.

She says: “I have always wanted to do VSO, ever since I was 18. I suppose like lots of young people, I wanted to give something back to society. But then I got married and had children (Ben, 25, and Rosie, 23) …“What gave me the push to do it was my daughter coming back from Ghana. She’d spent time in a school and had worked in Marrakesh with street children.

“Like lots of people I make regular contributions to charity – I raised £13,000 for Macmillan when I trekked to base camp of Everest and went trekking in Kazakhstan to raise money for Mencap – but this time I wanted to do something personally.

“In Bangladesh I will be using my management and HR skills. I’ll be helping organisations to be as effective as possible with scarce resources.

“VSO provides lots of training. There are online courses and I’ve done two residential courses which covered cultural awareness, health and safety, and how to be as effective as possible in a country that has a very different culture.

 “I think the most challenging thing will be the scale of the poverty that you see and can’t personally make a difference to. It’s very difficult to be unmoved by it – in Kathmandu the sheer scale of homeless children was shocking.

“I will find the climate difficult. Bangladesh is very hot and humid. And, coming from Malvern where I live quite high in the hills with views over Herefordshire, I am going to find it hard to adjust to Bangladesh which is very flat! And I’ll miss being able to pop into Café Nero on Church Street and being able to take a shower and sleep in lovely bedding.”

To donate to VSO visit Karen’s page at www.justgiving.com/Karen-Martin2 For details of volunteering opportunities visit www.vso.org.uk

Going into business - Chloe Tomalin

“I open the shop on Thursdays and Fridays after school – I hop on the bus from Bromsgrove to Worcester – and on Saturdays”

At the age of 14 Chloe Tomalin, from Bromsgrove, set up her first jewellery and accessories business, Ali Mai Boutique (www.alimaiboutique.com). Her second venture, an online magazine for teenagers, launched in the summer. Then, in October 2011, aged 16, Chloe opened a shop in Worcester. She is looking forward to leaving school to run her businesses full-time.

She says: “When I launched the magazine (www.theteenmagazine.com) I was getting lots of people asking where they could buy clothes. Then I was approached by a company in Los Angeles who wanted me to stock their clothing brand, Iron Fist, so I had to find a shop.

“I had to do lots of research before I opened the shop. It wasn’t something that I went into lightly. I pay rent and rates and water and electricity just like anyone else. One of our friends, who I know through my mum’s charity work, had a spare shop and I asked if I could rent it. She agreed and I give 10 per cent of sales to Breakthrough Breast Cancer. I open the shop on Thursdays and Fridays after school – I hop on the bus from Bromsgrove to Worcester – and on Saturdays.

“It is really difficult to be taken seriously, especially by the banks. One of the biggest banks in the UK told me that I couldn’t have a business bank account and that I should put my money under the mattress until I was old enough. It has been a really stressful time. I had to ask dad to get the credit card machine because I wasn’t allowed to. It’s ridiculous. I am not going to let my age stop me.

“I think my parents are scared of what I’m going to come up with next but they have encouraged me. I don’t know anyone else whose parents say ‘yes, go ahead.’”

31b Store is at 31b Barbourne Road, Worcester WR1 1SA. www.31b.co.uk Opening hours are Thursday and Friday 4-6pm and Saturday 10am-5pm.

Beating Breast Cancer - Jacquie Clements

“2012 is a big year for the campaign as we are aiming to reach the halfway stage”

If you are one of the people who bought the 2010 Worcester Breast Unit campaign calendar you may recognise Jacquie Clements as Miss August. The former teacher was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and, after a lumpectomy and radiotherapy to treat the disease, is now a regular volunteer with the campaign which is aiming to reach a major fundraising milestone this year.

She says: “I found a lump on the Sunday, saw my GP on the Monday and on the Tuesday I had an appointment with the consultant at Worcester. I couldn’t fault the care I received. They’ve got a really good team at Worcester. But when you go to Worcester with a breast lump there’s nowhere you can go and have all the tests you need in one place. The consultant sent me for a mammogram, then I had an ultrasound in another part of the hospital, a biopsy and blood tests somewhere else ... I spent a lot of time walking from one part of the hospital to another, sitting in different waiting rooms, getting dressed and undressed several times.

“The Worcester Breast Unit Campaign would bring these services under one roof. It would be more comfortable and more private with quiet rooms where you can sit and absorb the news if it’s bad. At the moment you walk out into a busy waiting room. I knew one or two people who were involved in the campaign.

“One day I got a phone call asking if I’d pose for the calendar. While I was off work I had started growing vegetables so I posed with a big basket of vegetables, chopping them for my homemade soup. I hate having my photo taken. I wasn’t worried about taking my top off it was having my photo taken that was worse!

“I did go back to teaching for a while – I taught French in a middle school – but I’d enjoyed being at home. I’d worked full-time even when the children (Zennija, 20, and Ellie, 17) were little so I decided to have a break. I am now working for the campaign once a week as a volunteer, doing admin and any other office jobs. 2012 is a big year for the campaign as we are aiming to reach the halfway stage. There’s still a way to go – the target is £1.8million – but in the last two years the campaign has done brilliantly. There are so many groups of people raising money, it’s a real community. Because it’s for Worcestershire and Worcestershire people it’s a cause that many people want to support.”

For more details of the Worcestershire Breast Unit Campaign visit www.everybodyknowssomebody.co.uk

2012 is also a big year for ...

Her majesty the Queen ~ Celebrating 60 years’ rule with her Diamond Jubilee. Ron Whitfield, former West Mercia police chief superintendant,
co-ordinates royal visits to the county for Lord Lieutenant, Michael Brinton. He jokes: “I remind the officials at Buckingham Palace that Worcester is the ‘faithful city’ and if it wasn’t for us there might not have been a royal family!” Nevertheless, there are no details of a royal visit just yet. Worcestershire has applied to have a boat in the Thames River Pageant, the county beacons will be lit and streets all over the county will be taking part in the Big Lunch.www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_197517

Worcester Bosch ~ Founded in 1962 by Cecil Duckworth the boiler company, famous for its pioneering combi boilers, celebrates its 50th year.

Worcester Philharmonic Orchestra ~ Forty years ago the orchestra emerged out of an evening class music group to become a full-fledged orchestra based at Pershore Abbey. The 2012 season has a celebratory theme. Don’t miss Joy, Pomp and Circumstance on Saturday, June 9 at 2.30pm. Tickets from local shops and tourist information centres. www.worcesterphilharmonic.co.uk

Artist Jeremy Houghton ~ The Broadway artist is one of 100 BT Olympic Storytellers selected to ‘tell’ their story of London 2012. Jeremy has been painting sports stars and blogging about his art: www.theartofsport.co.uk

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