Backpacker Buzz

It was a little odd being the only person cheering for the UK at the Robson street screens, but I had good reason!

It’s a proud day for Great Britain – my friend Ruth and her family and friends will hopefully be cracking out the champagne and having a right good knees up as her sister has just won a Gold Medal for us all!!

I have only met Amy Williams once; at the house of her parents in the city of Bath in the UK where she trains for what I consider to be one of the most insane Winter Olympic events – the Skeleton Bob. She came across as very gentle, petite and lovely….. yet she has a talent for hurtling down an icy track at about 80miles per hour on what to me seems like a glorified tea-tray with her chin about an inch off the surface…

She’s a lady, but in my humble opinion to do that she has some massive kahoonahs!!

The crowds were gathering at Robson Square and of course all eyes were waiting for the main Canadian contender, Melissa Hollingsworth, to make her fourth and final run….. with the competitors coming down in reverse order it meant Melissa was the penultimate rider with Amy out last - entering the fourth round with about half a second lead over the field.

Breaths were held and there were plenty of ohhs and ahhs as Melissa came down and made a couple of bumps….. she came in behind time and hit fourth position….. with this many of the assembled crowd began to leave, but I began my cheering – Amy was up next!!

I got quite a few strange looks bringing out the woop woops for Amy, but thankfully I had got the support of a lovely Canadian couple who had been watching all the races too and they managed to back me up with some cheers and whistles….. I was very excited telling the quizzical people around me that it was my friends sister trying to keep the Gold Medal position and things stopped a little as they too watched on….

Amy started strong and made the all important sub 5 second start all racers clamored for…. It was a pretty smooth run down the track, a few tenths lost and then regained over it’s short 54 second duration….

It was magic – Amy hit the end straight and her time still had the vital green backed numbers – she’d won!! I woop woooped some more and got further funny looks (yeah, more than normal!).

It’s amazing being out here in the Olympic Fever and having a gold medal for Great Britain, but it’s made all the more special and exciting when it’s your mates sister!!!

Massive congratulations to the Williams family!!!!

Woooooooop woooooooop!!

There are a few photos of my view at the big screen area at Robson Square here:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=150584&id=167745160661

And you can check out Amy’s official web page here:

http://www.skeletonamy.co.uk/index.html

HB