Chapter Thirty-Seven: Arrival at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games
I had really looked forward to coming back for these Commonwealth Games because it was a ‘home’ games and I hoped to feel the same vibe we felt at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. However soon after I arrived I began to realise these Games were different to the previous Games I had attended. I was not in my best shape, although I was getting there. The dynamics of the team were different, a real mixture of new and old lifters. I missed my close friends from the past Games who had since retired. I was a mother now, so found it harder to relate to the other lifters who didn’t have any responsibilities like children back at home. Plus I felt a lot of guilt about leaving my little boy.
Though I really did enjoy those last few training sessions, at the AIS and then after we arrived in Melbourne, at Hawthorn Weightlifting Centre (the official Commonwealth Games training venue for weightlifting). Being away from work and home distractions really had enabled me to train better. Having the benefit of those double day training sessions again, I felt I was finally getting somewhere with some improvement.
Another fulfilling element, was knowing now that was it, the final end was in sight. There was no doubt about my retirement this time. I had cleaned out my locker at Burwood PCYC before we left for the AIS training camp. My back was really hurting, during and after training. But I could handle it because I knew I was getting close to the finish line. So while I was enjoying training (because it was going well) – due to the pain I was in, I was counting the training sessions down to my last.
Don’t get me wrong – I really wanted to be there. And it was exciting when we all first arrived at the village in Melbourne. However now I was here I lacked the full excitement I’d felt in the previous Games. Maybe this was due to the feelings of guilt I was having or maybe it was because it wasn’t my first Games? I also lacked the nerves. I remembered something Sevi had said to me 6 years before, about nerves correlating with passion. I cared though. I wanted to end on a final high note, preferably with a medal – which looked like it could be in reach when the latest rankings came out. Then I worried about not feeling nervous! Although, there was still time for nerves to come.
The athletes village in Melbourne was brilliant. It was huge, with nice accommodation and a great dining hall. We enjoyed a formal flag raising welcome ceremony at the village for the whole Australian team (so I got to wear my formal uniform). We also had a visit in the Dining Hall from our Prime Minister, John Howard, who gladly posed with the weightlifting team for a photo (I wish I knew who ended up with the photo where we were all looking at the camera).
When it came time for the Opening Ceremony, just like in Manchester a decision was made for the light-weight lifters not to march. A handful of us stayed behind. We watched all the others get ready in their Opening Ceremony uniforms and congregate with all the other teams to set off … while we stayed in the village in our tracksuits watching TV. Although we did see some of the fireworks from our balcony.
I was a little disappointed not to march, but accepted the decision easily this time around. Even though I wasn’t going through drastic weight loss for these Games (I was competing at 58kg), it was still important to conserve energy. I would be lifting on day 3 of the Games.
Coming up next – Chapter 38: My last hurrah