Paralympian blog

My shoulder and the Junior Europeans
31/08/2010

My shoulder and the Junior Europeans

I've been sitting here for the last 2 hours looking at a blank screen wondering how to write this month's blog. It's been a weird month to say the least, with countless hours sat behind the steering wheel of my car driving all over the country.

I wish I could say it was for training but sadly, no. At the start of last month an old shoulder injury came back, and came back HARD! At times I couldn't even move my arm and had it in a sling (which made driving all the more fun). After numerous referrals, consultations and MRI's it was decided . . . that I needed to see a shoulder specialist.

I had one small problem with this, the JUNIOR EUROPEANS! They were in 10 days and there was no way I was going to miss it, even if I had to play drugged up to my eyeballs in painkillers - this was going to be my final Junior tournament. So off to another doctor I went, who gave me a steroid injection in my shoulder to reduce all the swelling and inflammation so I could play. Unfortunately it would still cause pain but at least I could play, and that's all I cared about.

The Junior Europeans this year was in Milan. It was a very well organised tournament, possibly the best I've ever been to. I guess I should just get down to it, as I don't really wanna string it along for too long as it is still a bit of a hard pill to swallow. We played some amazing team basketball over there and won all of our group games including beating Sweden, who had beaten us in the Astra Tech a few weeks earlier. Playing great defence and at a relentless high tempo we managed to win our quarter final match and semi-final, reaching the final undefeated. Then we faced up against Sweden once again. It was a tight game throughout, we traded baskets the whole way, but unfortunately we lost by 2 points, missing the final shot to take it into overtime. A disappointing end to a great tournament, we had a shot, and in truth should have won. But at least we proved ourselves worthy against the best team in the world.

And YES! I don't need telling, another silver medal. Another lose in a final. THANKS! Lol, but hey I'm proud of it, we were a real TEAM out there. No actually we were a FAMILY and I'll have memories and stories that will last me a life time.

But now its time to go and fill my car up, as I'm off to Manchester tomorrow to see Dr Shoulder expert

Cheers - Lee

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