Two weeks on from my first Badminton and I think I’m just about over it. What a demanding week it proved to be physically, mentally and professionally.
It was a week packed to the brim with first times, whether that be meeting and working with new people or the variety of food I sampled as part of our lunch time programming.
Those two factors in particular were my highlights of the week. Meeting and working with consummate professionals at one of the world’s elite sporting events was a fantastic experience, while getting to consume free samples of top quality cuisine at the same time was an absolute bonus.
When approaching the week I was daunted to say the least. With all live radio there is the potential for disaster. My personal penchant for misplacing a step left me petrified that my sausage-roll tasting would undoubtedly end in my being a heap on the floor surrounded by wires, shame and well wishing helpers wearing tweed.
Luckily for me, and Radio Badminton, no such event occurred. Aside from escaping the estate injury free, for me Badminton was a success and I’d say the same for the rest of the team too.
It was a vintage year of competition that was granted the incredible, tense finish it deserved. Before the dust had settled and the Badminton mud had been cleaned off, the Lloyd Bell team then travelled to GB Rowing HQ to speak to the squads for the European Championships.
We were greeted by what seems to have been the best weather of the year so far and talked weather, rowing and the Olympics with a series of athletes that have to be considered hot favourites for gold in Rio.
The pace was fast, the turnover was high but the loved having us there, apparently it’s only ever sunny when Lloyd Bell and the cameras show up.
It was a second great experience in two weeks for me and I will forget neither any time soon.
Josh