Report: GB Paralympic Team in Australia - Part 2

 

Posted 31 Jan 2007

Report & Pics - Team Manager Dave Mellor

 

Team Manager Dave Mellor continues his reports from Australia where the GB Paralympic squad are in training and Dave is exploring the possiblities of become a celebrity chef!

 

Dave pilots Aileen McGynn in a time trial

 

We are well into week two of the training element of the GB Disability Squads camp in Australia and from now on I think we'll refer to the squad as AWD. We have to follow Paralympic rules and not say we are a Paralympic Squad and the Aussies have come up with the term Athletes with a Disability.

 

Ellen Hunter and Anthony Kappes

Weather is great but it's a bad time to be an Englishman in Australia! Even the normally more restrained female newsreaders are getting into the act and openly laughing at our cricket team's performance and the sports reporters are just rude - "just telling it how it is mate!" I have to agree, did anyone see Plunkett let the ball go through his hands trying to stop that 4 against New Zealand?

 

Car park chat, pre ride

Training has continued the split day pattern with road or track sessions starting at 7am, gym or road rides at 4pm. I'm not sure that tandem riding was part of my job description but trying to save Ellen's back a little I've been doing the road rides with Aileen. So yesterday it was a 10mile hilly TT for everyone and I'm not quite sure I'm fit enough for that sort of effort but Aileen is a Paralympic Gold Medallist so she can take the credit for the ride or use my lack of fitness as the reason we got beaten so soundly!

Result

Bendigo Wheelers Hilly 10 - B23/6
Barney Storey - Anthony Kappes  25.32
Gary Williams    25.51
Darren Kenny    27.38
Jody Cundy    27.46
David Stone    28.45
Dave Mellor - Aileen McGlynn  28.47
Rachel Morris    44.37
Rik Waddon    DNF
Sarah Bailey    DNF

Next day back to the day job and 5hrs behind the wheel of the car following the Endurance group. I spied 3 kangaroos and nothing else and am now convinced that Koala bears and Possums are products of Zoos. Manufactured by scientists and marketing people to sell furry gift shop souvenirs all over Australia. Has anyone ever seen a real one in the wild? I doubt it! Anyway what was of interest from an athletic point of view is that David Stone our "Trike Guy" made it round with the group the whole way and I cannot believe anyone else in his Disability category would be able to do that - he really is remarkable!

 

Jody Cundy and Gary Williams in Team Sprint training - Dave "big cook" Mellor (right) and Chris "little cook" Furber (nearest the camera) are providing support (for significance of cooking reference, see food feature below)

After that it was virtually straight back onto the tandem with Aileen for two hours in the afternoon and I'm starting to flag. Back to the apartment and it's my turn to cook so when the office start calling at 8pm my time and 9am your time I'm not sure if they were taking me seriously when I asked if 2 cups of stock would be OK per one cup of Risotto rice but if they are reading this it worked out just fine thanks, the guys loved it and Jamie Oliver, you can eat your heart out luv.

Hungry riders awaiting risotto? No, apparently this is actually a team meeting!

DM's Bacon and Pea Risotto

Serves 4 or just add a bit more if you've got more than 3 friends.

Pack of Smoked Bacon
2 Cups of Risotto Rice
Big chunk of Parmesan
Some butter.
Some Olive Oil
Garlic
2 Big Onions
2 Sticks Celery
Bag of frozen peas.
Big shot of vermouth.

Fry the Bacon in strips. In a big pan put in chopped celery, onion and garlic and on low heat cook in oil and butter. Cook slowly for 5 mins.
Throw in the rice. Wait until it goes translucent. A big shot of vermouth and cook out the alcohol. Add the stock stirring all the time. Near the end add peas and bacon. When the stock has been absorbed and the rice is just a little crunchy take it off heat. Stir in grated Parmesan and some more butter. Leave for 5 mins. Eat with a green salad.

 

PS - our tame Aussie Heather who took the pictures and who's just proof read this tells me that a Koala is just a Koala so please disregard any reference to "bear" and another interesting fact or another example of taking the mickey out of the gullible Pom is that when the first Englishman saw a Kangaroo he said to his Aboriginal guide "What's that?" the Aborigine said "Kangaroo" which loosely translated means "I haven't got a clue mate!" So for years we've been calling Skippy totally the wrong thing!