Gail Emms' Blog by Gail_Emms

Hello everyone! Hope all is well? I played a bit of badminton at the weekend! Still a bit unusual for me to do that really, but last weekend, I represented my county Hertfordshire (I was born there) in the Premier A country weekend championships in York. I dusted off my rackets and made my way up there with another ex-England player Suzanne Rayappan to try and play at a decent standard! After a 3 hour drive, we were running late for our match and as soon as we arrived, we were on court together, playing ladies doubles against a 19-yr-old and a 22-yr-old. They both play very regularly and are England juniors who also like to run around a lot. Brilliant... just what the body ordered??!

So at 3-3 and after some very long rallies, myself and Suzanne were looking at each other in horror as we were both blowing out of our backsides, while our opponents were hardly sweating! It didn't bode well for us. After a lot of effort on our part, it got us nowhere and we lost the match unsurprisingly, so not a good start to the weekend! However, I did manage to stop losing and won all 5 of my remaining matches. I even got to play with a young 18-year-old guy called Ryan, who ran around me in the mixed doubles and so I didn't have to move much! Love that! Ryan played really well and Mr Nathan Robertson had better watch out!

There are 3 weekends over the season and there are 2 matches on the Saturday, and one on the Sunday which means it is a good chance to socialise and catch up with people on the Saturday night. Then it is very interesting watching the matches on the Sunday and seeing how people cope with playing with a hangover! Some hangovers seem to be a lot worse than others! And the standard of play seems to go rapidly downhill on the Sunday as well funnily enough...! I did venture out into York and may have had a few drinks, but felt a little bit old as most of the Hertfordshire team were still teenagers.

I then started singing old songs in the taxi to the youngsters and telling them they don't know proper music. OMG I have turned into my dad!! But it is true... they just don't make music like they used to!! Ha ha!! Hertfordshire are doing well in the league and after weekend number two, we are in 4th spot. Not too bad really! I would love to tell you about this week's "Road to 2012" radio programme, but alas I was banned from going to the studio on Monday! Basically, I had the winter vomiting bug - again! - and spent Sunday night in my bathroom. It was not pretty and even though I felt okay on Monday, I was still contagious and therefore asked nicely to stay away!

It was weird hearing my programme going out without me and my producer and co-presenter Luke Ashmead doing it all and I felt all jealous! But I really don't want other people to have what I had. It has put me off track with my exercise as well. I haven't really felt strong enough to run or go to the British Military Fitness sessions and even Wilson the medicine ball has sat lonely in the lounge this week. But I hope to get back on schedule at the weekend. In fact I have a free weekend and plan to chill out and exercise - if the two can go together of course??!

On Wednesday, I had the great experience of going down the Olympic canoe slalom course at Lee Valley White Water centre in Hertfordshire. Normally, to do some white water rafting, I would choose a summer's day, but no, there I was in the freezing January weather! I was kitted out and briefed about going down the rapids and was a little bit nervous about it!! I stupidly sat at the front to start with and I think I swallowed most of the water, as wave after wave just hit me and I don't know how I managed to stay in the raft. But after it was over, I just wanted to go again and again! Yes the water was a bit cold, but you are in warm wetsuits and it is hard work paddling so you keep warm that way too. The new winter season is now open and it is open to the general public until April 19th so, if you fancy it, then I really recommend having a go! It will be very strange watching the canoe slalom at the Olympics now, as I will be thinking - I did that!! But in a big raft.... with other people helping... and a professional guide. Just the same eh?!!

And finally, I have been involved with the Ascot and Maidenhead School Sports Partnership this week and as well as the two schools - Newlands and Cox Green from last week, I visited, Desborough, Charters, Altwood and Furze Platt this week in two days. The visits were a combination of talks, assemblies and practical demonstration sessions, but overall they went very well. It was all thanks to Emma Fitzgerald and Karen Woolland who organised it for me and they are really trying to keep the school sport partnership flourishing. Everyone was really enthusiastic about the Olympics and I have met some fantastic people and fingers crossed, the school sport partnership will continue its good work with the support of the schools involved. See you next week!