Borough Trials

Madeleine swims four races: one butterfly plus three crawls including two anchors on the medley and freestyle relays. Since this is London, one-lap a weird 33-meters which makes it impossible for me to judge, by times, whether the kids are fast when compared to when I was an age-lapper. Regardless, Madeleine crushes it : she wins her individual crawl in a time of 25.84 (the judge says fastest time for Year-5s, boys and girls) and powers through the relays delivering top place for both. The look of joy, pure joy, on her face like nothing else. I have not seen it before or, if I have, it was when we got the dog. And there that smile is again made all the better as Madeleine shares her happiness with her team-mates.

Eitan cruises to victory in his 33-meter freestyle (21.83), backstroke and two relays.  He is polite , even shy, after each race : he looks at me briefly for encouragement, offers a sheepish grin, then off to the accolades of his friends.

It amazes me  how the parents yell at their darling athletes: "Gooo!! 'Beck!" (the Dad behind me emotes) "Go. Go!  GOO!! Argghh! Don't Quit. Agg!! YOU ! ARE ! ALMOST THERE 'BECCAAAAA!! ! 

The noise deafening and shrill made worse by being indoors.  The football pitch, where I expect nastiness on occasion, no comparison to this. And mostly the mums, too, who, when I see them at the school yard, are the most civil people I know. So reserved, so British. And now it is all, like,"FASTER! F-A-A-SSSTT-E-R-R!!"

SM wins the gala and everybody feeling good. Pizza for dinner. Woo hoo!