Wednesday 14 December 2011

WINTER SUNSHINE IS NO HOLIDAY FOR BEATTIE

While the rest of us are already sick of the thought of white meat, Great Britain's women's volleyball captain Lynne Beattie is toling in the Spanish, ahem, sun, fine-tuning her preparations for the forthcoming Olympics. I spoke to her last week about life on the Costa Del Spike.

With little more than seven months remaining until the start of the Olympics, athletes' attentions are being turned to the fine-tuning of their preparations.

For some that could be tricky, with the notoriously cold British winter starting to bite, but for others, conditions are almost idyllic.

A lack of funding has forced the Great Britain women's volleyball squad to head overseas for the domestic season, with the players seeking employment in various European outposts owing to the absence of a training programme at their normal Sheffield base.

Captain Lynne Beattie is one of the players to have taken her game to the warmer climes of the continent - she is currently starring for Spanish side CV Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - and she believes the move has given her preparations for London the boost they needed.

``I have always been attracted to the Spanish League because the fast pace suits me. The weather has been an added bonus!'' she told Press Association
Sport.

``I have been in Spain for two months now and am enjoying every minute of it. Over recent years I have been in Slovenia, Italy and Germany, and each of them have been invaluable in their own way. I have been exposed to different players, coaches, pressures and situations.

``Every season I have faced new challenges, from being the only English speaker in the team to fighting for a place in the starting six. I believe Spain is a great environment for me to play my final season leading to the Olympics in. After this season, I want to be in the shape of my life.

``I want to be physically, mentally, technically and tactically better than ever before, and I think playing in this league every week will allow me to reach my potential as a player and be the best I can be come July 2012.''

Glasgow-born Beattie and her team-mates have embarked on a number of fund-raising initiatives over the last 18 months in order to keep their training programmes running.

As a result, they have harnessed a unique team spirit that has seen them maintain regular contact across 10 countries, and Beattie is confident their unity will shine through on the court next summer.

``We keep in regular contact through video calling and it's great to know I can talk to my team-mates even though they are in a different country,'' she said.

``They are the only other people who know how big this challenge is, because we are all in it together. To be able to share experiences, or simply enjoy a bit of banter with them, helps a lot, especially for the girls who are more isolated in countries where not a lot of people speak English.''

Some players are barely making a living playing for their clubs, having sacrificed jobs in England in order to pursue full-time volleyball overseas, and Beattie added: ``This is a big year for us all, so everyone is pushing themselves to the max.

``Some people are not in ideal situations, but we are making the most of every training session in order to be the best we can be for Great Britain next summer. When we are reunited in Sheffield in April, it will be like we have never been apart, allowing us to focus entirely on the Games.''

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