shevyspeaks

[shevyspeaks]

Put Some Respect on the Name

Who do we respect?

What do we respect?

I just got this new t-shirt in the mail, from a company called Always Ballin’ UK. It was a gift from them because my team and I won our silver medal at the Commonwealth Games (still crazy to me)!

On the front of the t-shirt was a slogan-

“Put Some Respect on the Name”

It got me thinking. Put respect on who’s name?

Why does society respect certain people?

Why does the media hold certain people up for us to idolise?

Sometimes, if you only look in front of you, at the tabloids, the reality TV shows and the “trending” beauties of the day, it’s easy to be led down the path of superficial success and put respect on the names of those that sell.

However, if you lift the social media and reality TV veil, you can see, all around you, the people whose names to put respect on.

To me, the people who work their asses off every day to make a difference in the world are those that deserve the most respect. That may be in the form of a world renowned activist or President Obama or in a major scientific discovery. Or it could be in the form of a local activist, handing out leaflets door to door, our local MPs, the nurse who cared for someone you love. The impact, at an individual level, these people have is the same, the reasons they do what they do correlates, the work they put in is of the same gravity.

One may have the platform of a million followers on Instagram and the other 200 but they touch the world with the same love. These are the people whose names we should respect.

But sometimes - and it’s important I say sometimes, as it’s not all the time - I see people idolising a post of utter poutery. I think I made the word up 🤷🏻‍♀️, but you know what I mean. Those lip injected pouts that are supposed to be perfection. That unnatural hip to bum ratio that are “life goals” to strive for.

I see it a lot in young people, young girls I work with and it’s damaging. They are bombarded with images like this every day. The amount of likes on the picture validating the person that’s in them. Giving these girls a false sense of what it is to be respected.

What do you want to be respected for?

I have to ask them because it’s an easy road to go down. Gaining quick and instant “respect” for posting a photo of “phlawless” physical beauty - all in a cloud of “philters”.

A respect of superficial proportions.

Young girls should want to be respected for more.

For working hard in school. For being a great friend. For doing extra volunteer work in their local community. For achieving success in their field of excellence. There are countless ways but they require resolve, persistence and integrity.

I’m not saying don’t feel beautiful and proud but recognise that the real beauty comes from within.

You have to first respect your own name to enable others to respect it. Believe in who you are and what you stand for and let that show in your actions. You won’t always get it right and the things you believe in will continually change but be happy with who you are as person and not what you are in a photo.

Putting the respect on the name of 50,000 picture likes, because someone’s curves are in all the right places, doesn’t change the world.

There are people around us, every day, that change the world for the better with each thoughtful action they carry out. Put the respect on these people’s names - it will travel a lot further!!

Putting respect on your own name by trying to make a difference to yourself, your family, your friends and even strangers around you is where the real changes come. Each of us can do something to make the world better and if that puts respect on our name so be it.

But if we are focused on the right things we won’t even be aware of the respect others put on us because it is what we are doing, not what they are saying we are doing, that counts.

Who do you respect most?

Why do you respect them?

Balls of love,

Shevy 🏀❤️🏀

[shevyspeaks]

Power of Support - My trip to Abbey Road Studios

Hey everyone!!

This is a two part blog all about NPower’s motto of the game:

“Power of Support”

The first time I heard that this was NPower’s motto of the Games was when I got offered the most amazing opportunity, as part of Team England.

I was invited to go to the world famous Abbey Road Studios, in London, to film the music video for our national anthem, Jerusalem. Before I knew anything about it I thought it was going to be a pretty cool day. In my head, all I kept seeing was Badiel and Skinner, ‘Three Lions on a Shirt’. 🦁🦁🦁

So when I found out the anthem was being produced by Tokio Myers and sung by Jazmin Sawyers, I couldn’t quite believe it! Just another awesome opportunity basketball and being part of Team England has provided me with!

The day

I had to leave Nottingham pretty early, around 6am. But my dad is a Beatles fan, so missing out on recording at this iconic studios was not even an option. I was also brought up on ‘Jerusalem’, ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ and ‘The Last Night of the Proms’, so being part of the official anthem was an opportunity that I would have taken no matter the scheduling issues.

Before the recording

We had a few hours before the recording of the music video began. This downtime meant that we could look around the studios and get to know the other athletes that were part of the recording also.

The first thing I did was sneak a peak at the studios we would be recording in - the biggest in the UK if you were interested to know.

Behind the actual recording space were a few rooms with chairs to watch, buttons to press - SO MANY BUTTONS!

The rooms were jam packed with people. I don’t even know what they were all responsible for, but I assume different things like lighting (which was insanely creative), sound, media, producing, PR, PAs and other abbreviations.

Whatever their job, it was amazing to see the level of detail each of them went into. They were just like us athletes, only in a different field. Everything had to be just perfect.

This was they way when we watched the choir rehearsing. Their rehearsal studio was just underneath our green room so we got to see them going over and over their parts and perfecting them.

They sang live on the music video so their rehearsals before were slightly intense. The choir masters were on it - no slip ups tolerated. But the relentlessness paid off, because they sounded unbelievable! Not a note out of place!

Make up and media

The last thing we had to do before the recording was make up and media. I love getting my make up done professionally and these make up artists were no joke. Armed with the biggest make up brush pouches I’d ever seen, they pulled blusher brushes and powder brushes out of every which way, ensuring our make up was just right for the lighting. It made me feel pretty special ya know - VIP and all that!

They even stuck around for our photo shoots, just to make sure that we didn’t start shining and glistening.

The Recording

This was, by far, the most exciting part of the day.

We all piled in to Studio 3, buzzing with anticipation.

Now, in the studio were all the athletes, athletes’ families, choir, Jazmin, Tokio and all the behind the scenes staff. It was incredible to just be in the same room with all of these amazing people, never mind actually working with them on this project!

Everyone was enthusiastic and ready to do their part for the video, well at least for the first couple of hours!! Remember what I was saying about perfectionism? Well, that attention to detail didn’t stop at rehearsal. During the actual recording we had to do the same shots over and over and over again until it was perfect, or until the producers and editors got the shots they wanted.

In the end we were filming for over three hours and the mentality we have as sports people was definitely needed during filming. We worked through it and supported each other with some of the “embarrassing” things we were asked to do, like laugh on cue and mime the anthem. In the end it was three hours well spent, because it produced an amazing end product!

If you’ve not seen it yet you should catch it on YouTube! It’s awesome - plus I’m in it twice, which is so exciting (only because I’m stood next to Max Whitlock but that’s ok, I’ll take it)!

After the day

The day itself was unforgettable, but even since then Npower have made the experience super special. We have had presents in the post and social media content sent to us that has all helped to keep those memories alive.

For me, I think the best thing this day has provided, apart from being in an official music video available on iTunes 😱, is the sense of support the day gave us.

This is my first Mutisport tournament and it could have been quite overwhelming, but one of the things that has been comforting is already knowing other athletes from other sports and disciplines. I know these other athletes because I met them at Abbey Road on that day. Seeing them out here in Australia and speaking to them on social media has really made me feel part of Team England and the support we have given each other is because of the experience we shared on that day!

So, I feel like I’m saying thank you a lot recently, but there’s so much to be thankful for!

Thank you so much Jazmin, Tokio, Team England and Npower for letting me be part of this special day. Yet another memory the Commonwealth Games has given me and yet another layer of support I’ve received since being part of Commonwealth Games England!

Oh, and good luck Wednesday and Thursday Jazmin!

Balls of love,

Shevy ❤️🏀❤️

[shevyspeaks]

Games shapers: Shapin’ the games!

The “Games Shapers” of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games are like the London 2012 “Game Makers”. They are the amazing volunteers who make the games possible.

Our team has now settled in Townsville, a two hour flight from our first home in Brisbane. Touchdown in Townsville really signalled the start of the games for us. This is where our preliminary rounds are played, before moving back to the Gold Coast for our Semifinal and Final games.

Settling in a new place always has its challenges, but since the wheels of our plane hit the runway at Townsville Airport, the games shapers have made the transition seamless.

From the first Games Shaper who handed me a bottle of water in the airport, to Jamie, the games shaper who saved my spandex - here’s a look at some of the amazing volunteers who make this competition such a great experience!

Kerrie - Massage Therapist

Kerrie is my girl!!

One of the best things about a lot of the Games Shapers is how bright and smiley they all are. Kerrie is one of the nicest people I’ve met since being in Oz. She always has a smile on her face, always has a tale to tell and has made me feel hugely welcome in Townsville. Not to mention, she gives THE BEST foot massages ever!

Normally, Kerrie works with dancers. She works with some of the best Ballet dancers in Australia so sore feet is second nature to her. And boy can you tell! My feet feel brand new after 20 minutes with her.

The only bad thing is I gain so many wrinkles after laughing and smiling with her for 20 minutes.

Jamie - Saviour of my spandies

This lady right here is my absolute saviour!

The first day we got here, to Townsville, I dropped ALL my dark dirties in laundry. When I say I dropped ALL my dark dirties in laundry, I really did. 5 pairs of socks, 3 of my favourite sports bras, 3 of my favourite spandex - suffice to say, a lot of my favourite sports gear. Not to mention, most of the stuff I needed for the following week of practice.

So when my laundry bag didn’t arrive back the next day, full on panic set in. It’s a stressful life out here 😂🙈

My bag was missing for days but Jamie, the absolute legend, never gave in looking for it. She chased it down for three days. Chased it to the Canada camp, where it had gotten mixed up. Chased it back to the laundry room, where the Canadians had sent it back. Chased it back to the Team England headquarters and finally back to me!!

She got everything back for me and I’m so grateful! Game shapers are the best!

Terry - Mr Motivator

This guy right here keeps us inspired! Box jumping every day! Moving his height up and up!

I love when he is getting ready to move up a height he gives himself a lap around the box to mentally talk his way into his jump! Dedication and perseverance right there.

These guys are the ones we see every day, but there are so many volunteers who give up their time to make the Commonwealth Games such a memorable experience.

This games wouldn’t be what it is without them!! So I need to say a huuuuugggge

Thank you!!!

Balls of love,

Shevy 🏀❤️🏀

[shevyspeaks]

Warm welcome at Townsville Airport ✈️

[shevyspeaks]

Behind the scenes at Holding Camp!

It’s a week today since we arrived at holding camp, in Brisbane. It has been such a great experience. I have to share it with you all.

Team England took over Rydges Hotel here in Southbank and turned it into the perfect hub for athletes to get ready for the games.

Here are my favourite things about Team England Holding Camp!

The Lion’s Den

Welcome to the Lion’s Den!!

This is a space designed specifically for the well being of all us Team England athletes and it is awesome!

It’s important for us to have a place to get over the jet lag, take care of our bodies and relax our minds. And this hub is the ideal way to do that.

Check out the chill out area!

In the chill out area our competitive nature can continue to thrive!! There are two wide screens with playstations, giant scrabble, giant connect four and lots of other games to play.

If you’re feeling a break from the competitive nature of the trip, there’s also just lots of beanbags and deckchairs to chill out on!

The business end of the hub looks after our physical well being.

Stretching, rolling and rehab mat

This is where you’ll find me most mornings. These 31 year old legs need stretching and rolling out as much as possible! The atmosphere here has a very “together” feel. It’s where I’ve had a lot of conversations with other Team England athletes who don’t play my sport. Learning about other sports and their schedules really makes you feel like part of one team. We are all working towards the same goal and that’s really special!

There is also the treatment area!! Life saver!!

Treatment area

This is where you’ll find anyone and everyone that can help you keep your body healthy and ready for competition! There are doctors, sports massage therapists, physios, bikes, as well as some pretty hi-tech machinery to keep us all ticking over.

Each sport has its own physios and is allocated its own doctor too, but I’ve been super lucky because the Physio I see at home is also here, working at the games!! It’s a nice comfort, when you’re so far away, to be around people from home.

Part of the treatment area is the ice baths. Essential, but absolutely freezing! Although, if you sit still and don’t move you can quite easily ignore the cold. Plus, it’s a great place to bring your speaker and play some of your favourite tunes. And if either of those strategies don’t work, there’s always the unbelievable view across Brisbane to distract you from the frostbite!!

So that’s the lion’s den!! Pretty cool!!

Another thing I love about the hotel we have for holding camp is the outdoor space.

Outdoor chill outs

As well as places to relax indoors, there are some great spaces outdoors too! The best thing is that they’re all in the shade. So you can enjoy the weather without getting overly hot.

Team England also hooked up with other local businesses to enhance our stay!

One of my favourites is Studio 99 Fitness Centre.

Studio 99

This area is so spacious and full of everything you need to get in the perfect workout.

This is just one of the rooms there. We used it for core conditioning but there a lots of other uses for the space and different teams used it in different ways. The guy who runs the gym is awesome and super welcoming. I’ve enjoyed getting my workouts in there and feel like it’s been really important to keep me strong and stable whilst I’ve been here.

Well that’s really it for my favourite things about holding camp, except to say a massive thank you to Commonwealth Games England for putting this altogether. It’s definitely made me feel like part of Team England and am now raring to go for the Games!!

Balls of Love,

Shevy 🏀❤️🏀

[shevyspeaks]

10 day countdown

[shevyspeaks]

Top 5 Tips to combat Jet Lag!!

If you’ve ever experienced it, jet lag is an absolute killer!

It’s a nightmare when you are just trying to enjoy your holiday, but imagine if you had to compete in the second biggest multi-sports competition in the world?

TERRIBLE!

I’ve had jet lag before. I usually get it when I’m going into a time zone which is ahead in time. For example, I used to get it coming home, each year, from America. England was five hours ahead so I could never sleep at the right time. When it got to 11pm English time, it was only 6pm in American time and too early to sleep. I wouldn’t get sleepy, sometimes, until 5am GMT - 12 am American time!!

This obviously meant I would not be able to get up until I’d had my full amount of sleep and then the cycle continued.

Sleep late, wake late.

Jet lag never effected my day coming from America, because I didn’t have any responsibilities. I was just home for the summer before I went back to Uni. However, this time round I’ve gotta get right on 9 hours and I need my body with me. I have to try to get my body on the correct clock as quickly as possible.

We’ve been given a lot of advice on beating the lag - these are the top 5 that seem to be helping me:

1. Prepare before you travel - try to sleep an hour later each night, before your trip, to get on the right time. For example, at home I usually go to bed at 12 but 9 days before the games I started to make my bed time later by an hour each night and wake up an hour later. So by the time I left for Australia, I was going to bed at 5am and waking up at 12pm. This tip can be impractical but if you can make it work, it helps.

2. No caffeine at least three hours before bed - I know this might seem like common sense, but often we ignore it. I’m not sure three hours is scientifically correct, but it seems to be right for my body. I try to avoid anything that contains caffeine, at least three hours before I go to sleep. There’s nothing worse than feeling ready for bed, doing your bedtime routines and then having the caffeine kick in. Lying there, staring at the ceiling, in your caffeine coma, is the worst. The caffeine coma is often followed by me getting stressed out and worried that I can’t sleep and then overthinking it. My brain won’t shut down, because I’m thinking about not trying to think and to force myself into unconsciousness and this NEVER works. Letting your body relax into sleep begins hours before the time you’ve set yourself for bed.

3. Eye masks and ear plugs - every little helps! Eye masks are great for blocking out any light in the room and ear plugs, obviously, sound. Light and noise can keep you in your REM sleep (light sleep) longer than you should be and stops you from entering NREM (deep sleep), which is where you want to be for muscle recovery etc. Plus, there are some really cute eye masks out there. I got mine from Skinny Dip and I love it!

4. Get up when you wake up - So I’ve actually enjoyed one thing about jet lag. It can wake you early and give you time to relax in the morning. This is especially cool in Oz, because it’s so sunny and warm out. Morning walks before breakfast are beautiful or even just having that extra time to relax and get ready for your day, without rushing, can really set you off on the right track! I’ve found that if I just get up when I wake up, even if that’s a couple of hours before I have to be up, I feel better later on in the day. If I snooze and force my body to go back to sleep, the tiredness can hit me late afternoon time.

5. Don’t nap - For the first few days it’s really important not to nap, until your body has adjusted. Try to stay awake all day, so you’re actually tired when the evening comes. Let’s face it, if you’re in a new country then there’s enough to keep you occupied throughout the day. Instead of napping, go check out the local sites, eat some traditional food, enjoy the new culture that surrounds you. Usually this, plus workouts means no time to nap anyway. Make the most of your days, don’t nap it away!

So there they are - my top 5 tips for beating your jet lag. Everyone’s body is different but these are working for me. Maybe try them out next time you travel!

Balls of love,

Shevy 🏀❤️🏀

[shevyspeaks]

Follow my Commonwealth Games Journey

Hi guys!!!

If you follow me on social media you’ll not have been able to escape the fact that - I MADE BASKETBALL ENGLAND’s TEAM THAT IS COMPETING AT THE GOLD COAST 2018!!!

Aaaaggghhh! WTH?! OMG! And any other abbreviation you can think of!

This year has been an extremely long road!

Lots of laughs, lots of tears

Lots of support, lots of jeers

Lots of excitement, lots of fears

But despite all the ups and downs, this year has lead me to the most exciting time of my basketball career! I get to represent Team England at the Commonwealth Games 2018!

It’s all sinking in now and I don’t want to miss a moment! So, I’ve started to do mini videos of the process. I’ve started a new highlight story on my Instagram page, specifically for the games. I’ve done lots of things to try to document how amazing this opportunity is going to be!

This tumblr microblog will be part of that process. I’ll post regular content so I can immortalise this awesome experience in words aswell as photos! And also, so I can share this with everyone!

I’m so excited, I’m sure you can tell.

I hope you guys enjoy my microblog and feel part of this incredible journey with me!

Balls of love,

Shevy 🏀❤️🏀