The sound of the 5am alarm was not welcomed this morning as
not only did it come after only one hour sleep, but it indicated that our time
in Kazan was over and today we would be heading back to the UK. It’s crazy to think
how quickly the past few weeks have flown by but what an experience it has
been. On waking up we had half hour to be out of our rooms and so
adopting the role of a headless chicken begun as we rushed around ensuring we
had packed everything and nothing was left behind. Despite my bag looking
relatively empty, it slowly became a struggle to fit everything in and I
reverting to sitting on top of it whilst zipping it up. But job done it was
time to bid farewell to what had become my bedroom for the past 2 weeks. It made
me sad as that room, with my roomies Kerys and Sam, was the creator of many memories
during our time in Kazan and waking up tomorrow in my own room just won’t quite
the same.
Off to breakfast we went, our last ever visit to the
legendary food hall where we (yet again) treated ourselves to a McDonalds breakfast,
some muffins and pretty much anything else we fancied. We wanted to stock up on
food for the journey home which was going to take us pretty much all day. As
much as I love travelling, which I do, the journey home is always the least
exciting bit especially when this journey was going to take me about 15 hours
from leaving Kazan to arriving at home in Gloucester.
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| The airport floor became our hotel beds |
We got on the bus to head to Kazan for our first of two
flights. The lack of sleep was already beginning to show as most of the team
drifted off to sleep for the half hour drive; I think most of the day was going
to be spent trying to catch a few winks as and when possible. Boarding the
plane and off to Moscow we went, for what turned out to be a rather interesting
flight. I’m not usually one to be scared of flying but this pilot definitely
made us all a little edgy with his ability – I swear on landing, which is when
I woke up, we looked like 1. We were about to land in a forest. 2. We were
going way too quick to stop. It was a nervous moment for all and we were
relieved to get off the plan in one piece at the other end.
A four hour wait was in store for us in Moscow, returning to
the area where we had previously been when we came to Moscow; it felt like the
clock had been rewound 2 weeks. And to be fair I wouldn’t have minded if we
could do it all over again! Sleep, food, card games and Wi-Fi all helped pass
the time as waited for the final leg of our journey back to the UK. The
discovery of ‘Dobble’, a card game one of the rugby girls had, made the latter
stages of our wait entertaining and it’s definitely a game I am going to invest
in.
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| Farewell Moscow |
Boarding the plane, we bid farewell to Moscow, and to
Russia, a country which had provided all of us with memories that we would
treasure for life. The next 3 and a half hours were spent, for me, mainly
sleeping which even meant I missed out on the food but I think my body was more
appreciative of the sleep than it would have been of the food. Nearing London
the pilot announced that there was ‘clear skies at Heathrow and it’s currently
29 degrees’. Now that is something you very rarely hear and slightly softened
the blow of having to leave Kazan. For once I was able to look out over London
and spot all of the tourists hotspots – Wembley, Big Ben, The Shard, Emirates,
the 02, Windsor Castle – I think the pilot took a little detour.
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| Welcome to London |
Landing down in London signalled the end of our journey to
Kazan and to the World University Games. It was actually over. As a mass Team
GBR stumbled through arrivals, through passport control and to baggage
collection. We were here and it was time to say goodbye. These girls had become
family over the past 4 weeks, we had had our ups and downs, but we had united
together to become winners. Friendships had been made for life and I know we wouldn’t
be forgetting this experience anytime soon. It was also sad to say goodbye to
the boy’s football team, a group of lads we had become well acquainted with
over the past few weeks. It was a little emotional to say the least but
although this was the end of our journey to Kazan, I know we would all
stay in touch!
Jumping into my car and back to Gloucester I headed, via
Bristol to drop my teammate Jemma off. As it was a Thursday, a training night
for my Club, I popped in to see some of the girls and it was great to catch up
with a few of them. 10:30pm came and I was ready for bed. What a day it had
been, what a few weeks it had been.
This experience will stay with me for life. I have come home
with memories I will forever treasure, with newly formed friendships and an experience
which has bettered me as both a footballer and a person. I feel blessed to have
been able to have the opportunity to be part of it and I am so proud of what we
have achieved. It’s a moment in history, winning a gold medal playing the sport
I love and enjoy what more could I ask for. I am truly honoured to have
been involved in the most incredible experience in which words fail to
articulate, wow, what a journey.
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