Week 3 at Swimming WA

I had a bit of a back-to-back this week. I am now in to my normal Monday routine, after doing a make up day last Friday.

The timing was probably a good thing. The other staff are more familiar with me, and it gave me the opportunity to complete some tasks we started on Friday. I was especially keen to see the newsletter in its finished form.

Clare was running a little bit late this morning, but it gave the chance to meet some of the other staff.

Simon is my boss. He is the Executive Director of Swimming WA. I had been hastily introduced to him my first week. He has a great sense of humour and helped to set me up with a lap top computer, before Clare finally arrived.

Today we had the newsletter to complete. There were more articles to write and upload, and much editing to do. I feel like I am an expert on WYSIWYG now!

Writing the President's message was interesting. Clare explained how we write the message and give it to the president for approval, just like the assessment we did last semester where we wrote a speech for the mayor.

Clare wrote the bulk of it, but had me add bits and edit it. She assured me she would not take offence to any of my editing, and very much appreciated my writing ability and input.

I was given a lot of space to form the newsletter in to what I felt looked good, with very little inteference from Claire. I enjoyed the creative freedom and the confidence I was gaining.

I also had to make a some phone calls to coaches to interview them about the recent junior championships. I felt confident and really enjoyed the task.

Clare once again thanked me and talked about what we will be doing next week. We will start working right away on next month's newsletter and put together some media releases on the Open championships on the weekend.

Loving it!

A special moment in time..

It was a wet and cold day.Winter was on its way and I was 33 weeks in to a pregnancy.

The date was April 23,1998. I was booked in to have a routine ultrasound. Today just felt different when I woke up. I just sensed something big was going to happen.

Nigel dressed, as he does every day, in his suit. He was going to join me at the appointment and then go back to work. I looked at him and said, "I don't think you will be needing that suit today."

In the small ultrasound room, Dr Murphy looked concerned, as he moved the gel and paddle around my tummy. I could see the small heart beating, which aleviated some of my worries, but when he hastily left the room, my own heart began to race.

He returned, soon after, with an older doctor. Dr Ferri was the head of the maternity hospital, so I knew something serious was going on.

Dr Ferri placed his hand on my knee and said, "I'm really sorry, your baby isn't growing as well as we would have hoped, so he has to come early."

I don't think I truly appreciated the urgency of the situation when I responded with, "Ok, when will that be?"

I really wasn't prepared when he said, "It's going to happen today...".

I was shocked, Nigel was shocked...a million things go through your head. I was worried about having an early baby with problems, about how I didn't even have my pj's packed or my other necessities, and would Nigel be able to find them?? who should I call? what do I do? I'm not ready for this!!

I was taken to a ward and was prepared for an induction. I had read about these and had vaguely seen something on a video, but never imagined it was something I would be about to experience. I had no idea how it would feel or what was going to happen, remaining terrified for the health of my much wanted unborn baby.

I paediatrician visited me to help ease my fears. He explained the baby was healthy, but had stopped growing because my placenta was not functioning. He said the baby would thrive much better "on the outside". He assured me the baby was in great hands, and that an ambulance was on standby, if we needed to get more specialist care than our hospital could provide.

It was now late in the afternoon. I had been given some sort of gel pessary to help bring on the birth, but was not making any progress. Family members and friends popped in from time to time, while Nigel and I waited patiently.

When the rain stopped, we took a walk around the park, just outside of my room. It was a lovely room that opened on to a patio and cottage gardens.

Nigel and I took the time to walk around the park and talk about names and what was happening...it was all very surreal. We had waited six years to become parents, and were now just hours away from it happening.

Amazingly, at around midnight, I fell asleep! the nurses were in awe, as by now I was having some serious contractions. Every now and again, someone would wake me to check on my progress, but the baby was not budging.

By 11am, there was still no baby, so the decision was made to give me an emergency c-section. I was pretty tired by now, and the baby's heart rate was dipping. He was still too high up in my uterus to even contemplate a natural delivery.

Of course I never wanted a c-section. I had always envisaged a water birth or some other 'natural' form of birthing, but sometimes you have to sacrifice your ideals for the safest outcome.

At 11.30am, my miracle entered the world. I had a baby boy!! we had no idea what we were going to have, even after the multitude of ultrasounds we had had.

I cried as I looked at his little squashed face and saw visions of footballs and cars, not really believing I was finally a mum.

For months, we had argued over calling him 'Sean'. Nigel detested the name, but said I could have whatever name I wanted.

As I shed a tear in the operating theatre, I remember one of the nurses asking me if the baby had a name. I don't know where the words came from, but I came out with ,"Thomas Michael".

Nigel laughed and said, "I don't know where that name came from, but I'm sticking with it!"

He weighed all of 4lb 5 and you could hold him in one hand. His birth announcement card read "A little bit early, a little bit small, but perfect in every way!"

Week 2 of Work Experience and Loving It!

I had my second day at Swimming WA today and loved it!

Once again, I woke to hear about road disasters! this time the trains weren't all running and were having a huge impact on traffic. There was no way I was going to be late for work experience!

I arrived a good half an hour early, which was a relief, and also gave me time to grab a bite to eat, settle with an early morning coffee, and once again embrace my surroundings.

I was greeted by a familiar face in the car park. It was nice to be smiled at and remembered. It's been over a week since my first day, as Clare was away in Melbourne for the weekend and i couldn't do my usual Monday, so was nice that I'd left an impact on somebody. Sadly, I don't remember HIS name! I know I will get better at remembering names in the weeks to come.

Most of the stuff were running late this morning, exchanging tales of how painful it was waiting for non-arriving trains or being stuck on the freeway. It was nice to be included.

This week I was given an office to share with another lady, Meg. I already knew who she was, as her son is one of WA's most promising swimmers. It was such an honor to be sharing space with the mother of such a talented athlete. What was even more impressive, was she knew who Tom was!

Meg handles all the memberships, keeps records of results, times and personal bests. She works from 8.30am to 5.30pm on week days, and most weekends as well! She was incredibly busy, but would take the time to offer me some friendly conversation throughout the day. She explained her background was working as a PA for different politicians, until she started a cottage garden nursery business. Meg seemed to be the walking encyclopedia of WA swimming.

Clare was cheerful when she saw me. I sensed she had already thought up some challenging tasks for me, and she had.

The Junior State Championships were held last weekend. I was given the results, a frighteningly small amount of information, and I was to come up with a press release about the weekend's events.

This is where I was thankful for my experience in swimming. I firstly planned out what information I did have, researched how Swimming WA normally presents its results, found out what I could about the junior swimmers, and put together a substantial piece of copy, that I was pleased with.

It was very rewarding to get this email response from Clare:

Exactly what I am after!!! Thanks so much!

I will save it and we can add to it on Monday once we get the other info.

I will come in and see you about article number two!

The next task was similar. I had to write an article on all the WA swimmers who represented Australia at the Pan Pacs Swimming in California. I loved how Clare trusted my familiarity with the athletes, and only gave me their first names. "Make sure you find out what medals Blair won, and don't forget to talk about Matt!".

In no time I had my next article penned.

Another encouraging email from Clare:

Let me know how you go adding this into the article you wrote this morning...you can amend Simon’s comments if you need it to fit. Let me know if you need any assistance.

Sorry to bombard you..but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t think you could handle it! You are a big help to me today!

Cheers

Clare

I was then given a media release that was put together by a local swim club. It was poorly written, and my job was to edit it and make it suitable to publish in the Swimming WA newsletter. Any published material will look like it is generated by Swimming WA, so its professional style is essential.

Initially, Clare was going to get me to learn how to use their newsletter software on Monday, but I was on a roll.

I had a crash course on the use of a programme called WYSIWYG editor. Clare explained it was an application she had learnt at uni and she had introduced it to Swimming WA. They utilise it for their newsletters and webpage.

I love using it. It was very user-friendly and similar to what we use to blog with.

I uploaded the articles I had written, with great ease, and even some photos! Clare was impressed to come in and find out I had worked things out for myself, with very little supervision.

Clare really has been wonderful. She has been patient and encouraging. I love her passion and enthusiasm for what she does, and she has been inspiring me.

I go back on Monday, to put my timetable back to normal. We have to meet a few deadlines with the newsletter, have material to review, more and more to learn!

Life long learning...

What is learning? I believe it is something we do everyday, even if we are not aware of it.

Many think 'learning' is restricted to the classroom environment, but I disagree. The classroom is just one effective tool and is not the only way we absorb and digest knowledge.

I have always been a hands on learner. I learn more by experience than from out of a book, though I do love to read and have done so for many years, whether it be the latest Tim Winton, the daily newspaper or New Idea.

I have a passion for cooking and am known for my epicurial creations, but my ideas do not come from cook books. Most of my ideas have been grabbed from walking through fresh food markets, talking to people, cooking shows on tv, eating at restaurants, experimenting and just being enthusiastic enough to persevere and improve, wanting to impress whoever I am cooking for.

I also love to travel and have been lucky enough to have ventured around many parts of the world. I truly believe travelling is THE most powerful way to learn, as long as you don't restrict yourself to package tours or the Contiki style "let's get drunk and see a new country every day" experience.

My best experiences have come from spontaneous visits to out of the way places, staying with residents of different countries and opening my mind to new foods, new experiences and talking. Language has never been a problem for me...I love the challenge of making myself understood. I'd talk to a brick wall if it answered back, so enjoy nothing more than meeting new people in far away places.

Now I see myself in a traditional classroom, with the goal to not only learn more about an industry I am interested in, but also to learn about myself and to extend my abilities. This has also been a personal challenge for me to 'finish something', which has been an issue I have battled over the years.

The course has been engaging and inspiring. I believe the speed and 'realness' of what we are doing has kept me motivated, interested and hungry to learn. I feel I have developed new skills and have been empowered to embrace more traditional study, unlike before.

I know that, when I have finished my Diploma of Public Relations, there will be a sense of satisfaction, pride and achievement. I wont be surprised if I am compelled to continue studdying, now that my confidence in myself has improved.

Part of my inspiration has come from my friend Linda. Linda works and studies at the University of Rochester, in the US.

I first 'met' Linda on an international parenting web site. I always enjoyed reading her posts and we formed a bond through having similar views.

I eventually met Linda a few years ago. I visited her and her family in December 2008. There had been massive snow storms, and we were pretty much locked in for days, as the main roads in her area were closed. We learnt all about 'lake driven snow' and how to shovel drive ways.

Most importantly, I learnt you were never too old to continue to achieve.

Linda is always studying. She has degrees on top of degrees, and she STILL studies to better herself. Linda works with the sign language/deaf students at the Rochester University. He dream is to make a difference.

I got to visit Linda again, late last year. This time we got to enjoy the gorgeous remains of the Summer in Rochester.

Linda is now studying ways in which education can be improved. This is her passion. She has managed to juggle her studies with working full time for the deaf, raising 2 children on her own (one with special needs), an ugly divorce case, the recent death of her father, and losing her family home to the banks.

We chat frequently online, and I am so inspired by how Linda has proven there are no excuses to finding time to study and learn, or to do whatever in life you find important.

I know that Linda will make a difference!

Feeling of Accomplishment

This topic was initially a little bit difficult, until my mind wandered back to when I was 21.

My first serious boyfriend was a viking. I met him in a Perth hotel and was intrigued when he told me he was from Denmark. I guess I shared my mother's love for people from exotic places. She always claimed that was why she married my father, who was an immigrant from the Seychelles Islands.

Our romance was a difficult one. Peter had a one year working visa, and it was miserable when it expired and he was forced to return to his home town of Aalborg.

It was the early 90's and Paul Keating was in power. Australia was enduring 'the recession we had to have'. There was an economic down turn all over the world, including Scandanavia.

Peter was struggling to find work back in Denmark. The internet did not exist, and our love survived over a series of regular traditional written letters and the very expensive rare phone call. Peter and I both loved writing, so our exchanges were often more than 10 pages long. He dreamed about returning to see me in Australia, but the odds were against it.

I hadn't taken any vacation time for years. I really enjoyed my job in tourism promotions, so holidays weren't really dominating my mind. I was missing my viking, and burying myself in my work was a good way to keep me sane.

In 1991 I decided to take the plunge and visit Peter in Denmark. I had accumulated several months worth of holiday leave, had saved fruitfully, and had an understanding boss that agreed to let me spend 6 months in Denmark.

I hadn't physically seen Peter for about 18 months. It was initially weird, and I was thrown in to a family that spoke no English. It is amazing how you can quickly adapt and make yourself understood, when you have to! I have great admiration for Princess Mary and her new adopted country.

Peter's family were warm and generous. His mother spent hours teaching me how to speak Danish, taking me to the local supermarket and encouraging me to learn the Danish words from kartofflers to bof med loi. I became quite apt at reading and understanding the spoken language, but was seldom courageous to mould my tongue in my mouth to speak to anybody, for fear of being mocked.

In the period I was there, I was fed and well looked after. I was taken on trips all over Denmark, and have memories of a Hans Christian Andersen countryside, dotted with thatched cottages and fields of yellow - pictures I will never forget.

I felt indebted to Peter and his family. They wouldn't accept any money from me, despite their modest incomes. Peter's dad was a local bus driver and his mum had previously been a small goods maker. She was an outstanding cook, and laid tables of food you would see at a Miss Mauds smorgasbord!

When I returned to Perth, heartbroken, I had to leave this wonderful family behind, I felt like I wanted to do something special for them.

I had received an English written tour book from the Danish Tourism Commission, when I was furst researching on things to see and do in Denmark. I was browsing through it one day, reminiscing about my recent holiday, when I saw a competition advertised on the back page.

The competition required entrants to write about their holiday experience in Denmark, and to nominate an individual for their contribution to Danish tourism.

I took up the challenge and wrote about my adventures with the Danish family from Aalborg. I then nominated them as passionate ambassadors for Denmark. I sent off my essay and gave it little thought...

Then one day I received a very excited phone call. Peter and his family won the competion and received a cheque for over $1,000!! My essay was published in the Danish tourism guide and Peter had won the competition as Denmark's ambassador for tourism.

I was proud and felt a great sense of satisfaction. I felt like I had somehow paid back a small amount to this family who had done so much for me.

The Danish community in Perth treated me like royalty. They invited me to one of their functions to announce the win, and published my award winning essay in their newsletter.

The feeling of accomplishment came from knowing that I had used my passion to bring joy to somebody else.

My first day at Swimming WA

Monday was the big day! I had tossed and turned all night, worried I would be late for my first day, worried I wouldn't know what to do. Hadn't I gotten over these fears? It felt like starting high school all over again.

I woke to the news that a stabbing had occured in Northbridge, and went in to a small panic about potential traffic delays, but there was little I could do to avoid it.

I was relieved to find my journey in to North Perth was without drama, and I was fashionably early for my first day at Swimming WA.

As I nervously climbed the stairs to the administration office, I was greeted by the friendly face of Clare. I had spoken to her a few times on the phone, exchanged a couple of emails, and felt confident we would get along once we met. I was not disappointed.

I was introduced to a number of new faces. It all happened so quickly, I wasn't able to remember who was who and who did what, but am sure I will become more aquainted as the weeks roll on. Everybody seemed cheerful, well mannered and BUSY.

I was shown an office and computer that would be mine for the day. Most executives crave an office the size of mine. It was old and worn, but had a mystery about it - it had been the home of swimming in WA for many years. The usual occupant was away on holidays.

The walls were filled with information and contacts on swimming, events, upcoming duties and activities. Many of the names were familiar from my involvement with our local swim club, over the years.

Clare presented me with The West Australian, while she sorted out some duties for me. I sat there and took in the noises and voices around me. Some of the staff were talking about the footy results over the weekend. I ached to join in their conversation, but I was the new girl and sheltered in the safety of my luxury sized office.

I had arrived at 9.45am and it was now 10am. Clare explained what she wanted me to do for the day. I was being thrown straight in to the deep end, and I was going to have my writing skills challenged.

Clare explained that Swimming WA were in the process of revamping their web page. This sent a shudder though me, knowing that web technology was not my strength. Today, I would be doing 'copy' for their new and improved site.

I was given an email of instructions and some material that had been researched by a previous work experience student, who had left to take up a paying full time position. I was to use this material and any other research, online or in their library resources, to pen a welcoming page for the new site.

I sat there for what felt like hours, glancing at the paper work, looking at the blank screen, feeling like a small child presented with a large meal, not knowing where to start or finish. I played with the papers like the child, with the large meal, would twirl boiled cabbage on a fork.

But I read. I read more and more. My fear turned in to hunger, and from within came a passion I really felt I had lost years ago.

Suddenly, the words just came. I felt confident as the words flowed, and I was excited by what I was producing.

I emailed my finished work and waited for Clare's reaction. She was pleased and said, "This is perfect..just what we were looking for!"

I was still feeling out of sorts, but felt a sense of achievement to have survived my first duty.

Time for lunch.

Clare suggested the Beatty Park cafe. She instructed me to tell the staff I was working at Swimming WA, which would result in a substantial discount.

I made my way past the day time swimmers in the outdoor pools, reflecting on the history and former champions that would have spent many hours there. I then took a seat at the cafe.

I felt a little bit lonely. I don't like to lunch alone. I listened in on parents discussing their kid's swimming lessons, muffled by the splashing sounds of young children in the paddle pool.

The cafe food was surprisingly good. There was a healthy aspect to it, which was something I have always felt was important at recreation centres. I hate it when kids are participating in something active and healthy, then fed a bucket of chips.

The afternoon was a little bit more interesting. Clare had spent the morning working on the Summer Almanac (a substantial booklet that outlines the calendar of swimming events for the season). She had more time now to show me how she was putting it together, then explained how we would have to proof read the printer's first copy, before they would go to final print for the swim clubs.

We then went through the Swimming WA web site and looked at ways we could change material, transfer material and prepare for the new look site. Clare's goal is to teach me how to upload and edit, on my return.

I spent the rest of the day editing material to be used for the site. This included a large list of names and profiles for their honours page. It was amazing reading through the achievements of WA's former swimmers.

At 4pm my head was spinning and I was delighted when Clare suggested it was time to go home.

I feel I have been given a wonderful opportunity. Clare is intelligent, passionate and full of encouragement. She is finishing her own studies, so has a good grasp of what is important to learn in the PR industry. I was impressed by how, despite her own busy programme, she made time to come and teach me a few things and was conscious of the need to challenge me.

I also love that I am putting some useful time in to helping a sport I am involved in. I use their website and resources constantly, so am enjoying having a powerful contribution.

I was in bed pretty early that night!

Organ Donation

I have selected some family members and a friend to interview about the sensitive topic of organ donors. Some of my responses have been surprising and unexpected, especially from 12 year old Tom.

Tom (12) was asked the following questions:

DO YOU KNOW WHAT AN ORGAN DONOR IS?

When you die, you give your organs to other people who need them?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE AN ORGAN DONOR?

Yes, because I wont need them anymore and other people would eg.they might need a new heart

ARE THERE ANY ORGANS YOU WOULD NOT LIKE TO BE USED?

(The initial response was a cheeky smirk, then I explained they don't use THAT organ)

They can have everything

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF A SMOKER GOT YOUR ORGANS?

I would be disappointed as I don't agree with smoking and I work hard to keep my body healthy

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE TAUGHT IN CLASSROOMS ABOUT BEING AN ORGAN DONOR?

Yes, so other kids can learn about it and how you can save a life if you lose yours

The next person interviewed was my husband Nigel. He is 41 and has juvenile diabetes, so other than his own health issues making him believe he is not a good candidate for organ donations, he may need some of his own one day.

ARE YOU AN ORGAN DONOR?

No

WHY NOT?


Up until now, I have never really given it much thought or talked to anybody about it.

ARE THERE ANY ORGANS YOU WOULD NOT LIKE DONATED?

Not sure there are any they could use

WOULD YOU CARE IF A SMOKER OR HEAVY DRINKER GOT YOUR ORGANS?

I wouldn't like a smoker or someone who has abused their bodies to get them

IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO TOM (OUR SON) WOULD YOU WANT HIS ORGANS DONATED?

I may be too distraught to make a decision like that, but would possibly discuss my feelings with my wife. I would hate to see his eyes missin when viewing his casket. I don't really want to think about the possibility of this happpening.

Lastly, I spoke to my friend Daniel. He is a 37 yr old single father, well educated and open minded.

These were his responses to the following questions

ARE YOU AN ORGAN DONOR?

yes

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO BE AN ORGAN DONOR?

I believe there is not much point in taking my organs to the grave when someone else could use them.

ARE THERE ANY ORGANS YOU WOULD NOT WANT USED?

I am ok with all of them

WOULD YOU CARE IF A SMOKER, DRUG ADDICT OR HEAVY DRINKER GOT YOUR ORGANS?

It would be a shame, but it may even give them a much needed wake up call if they get a second chance

HOW HAVE YOU REGISTERED?

I carry a card in my wallet

DO FAMILY AND FRIENDS KNOW OF YOUR WISHES?

yes, my kids, parents and some of my friends know

IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN, WOULD YOU CONSIDER DONATING THEIR ORGANS?

It would be a very difficult decision but I think I would.