Sorry it has taken so long to post this - I am recovering!!! I will post some photos later. Please come back tomorrow for my guest post from Stephanie Butland

Life isn’t about the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away.

This quote above sums up yesterday – the best of days.

Despite an early start we managed to miss the train at 6.30 and had to change our plans and go via Reading. Not a good start! However all our plans for the rest of the day went well – except that I left our large collection of union jacks at home and they had run out in the Olympic park!

We arrived at the park and went through security with NO queues despite 80,000 people going into the stadium and 17,000 going into the aquatic centre plus the park day visitors etc… amazing organisation. I was quite tearful just entering the park and seeing it all in front of us.  We had a quick visit to the massive shop in the hope of getting a flag – we could have bought a flag from any country except GB! But I did buy a lovely, cosy Paralympic hoody which came in very useful later when it got chilly.

We met up with Josh at the entrance to the Aquatic centre. Our seats were in row 4 about half way down the pool – perfect seats. The action got started really quickly but it took a while to take in what we were seeing. Missing arms and legs, shortened limbs and poor muscle control. So many different starts in the pool and so many different techniques to enable these swimmers to do their best. Sitting around us were family and friends of many of the GB swimmers. When they came out onto the pool side the sound was deafening. We had Ollie and Sam Hyndes’ parents directly behind us wearing t-shirts with their photos on. The hardest to watch was the S2 backstroke race for the most disabled swimmers. They were amazing, each swimmer needing 2 people to help them get in and out of the pool. I can’t imagine what it takes each day for them to train. It was amazing to be there, the atmosphere was fantastic. The swimming came thick and fast with Paralympic records also coming thick and fast. There was great commentary so it was easy to follow what was happening. All to soon it was over.

Leaving the Aquatic centre – again very well organised – we went off to find lunch. Despite the huge crowds we managed to find a picnic table and I had the most yummy salad, Josh a sandwich and Paul curry and rice.

In the afternoon I went to find our hotel and to have a supposed sleep. Josh and Paul walked around the whole park taking photos so that I could see what it was like. Our hotel was about 10 minutes walk from one of the gates into the park. It is a lovely brand new hotel with very cheerful, helpful staff. As you can imagine I was much too excited to sleep but I did have a rest and watched wheelchair rugby. Wow they are so fast in their chairs! Paul and Josh came and joined me after their walk around the park – Paul for a shower and Josh for a sleep.

After a lovely meal in Las Iguanas we headed back into the park. Again, straight in through security despite huge crowds. And more tears! My first view of the stadium – wow! The designer did an amazing job to make a stadium which is both huge and intimate. The sound tells you there are 80,000 people but it feels so much smaller. Our seats again were wonderful. 6^th row from the front close to the long jump pit and just around the bend from the flame. The huge screens did a great job in allowing you to watch all the details whilst watching the action on the track in front of you. Directly in front of us the athletes were warming up for the long jump for athletes with cerebral palsy or other muscle conditions. This continued for the whole of the session along with 2 javelin events for wheelchair users and partially sighted athletes and shot put. Very quickly the first race was out on the track – 100m heats and our first view of Oscar Pistorius and Jonnie Peacock. The noise in the stadium was deafening. I wish I could adequately describe the atmosphere when one of the GB athletes was taking part – it felt like the whole stadium might lift off the ground with the sound echoing around as they ran. I have never been anywhere to compete with it – it was amazing. Again the races came thick and fast with little gaps. The organisation was smooth and efficient. All the officials for the races walked around the stadium in ordered lines, carrying stools, stop watches and clipboards. The little minis sped around the field collecting the javelins and score boards recorded all the action. I loved every second of it. David Devine did an amazing job getting the bronze medal in the 800m right on the line, cheered home by the crowd, and Bethany Woodward getting the silver in the 200m T37 were highlights. Bethany’s victory lap took ages as she had to stop for medal ceremonies and for races! But my favourite events of the whole evening were the relays. First the T11/T13 – for partially sighted athletes. This race was run in almost complete silence until the last changeover so that the athletes could hear their teammates shouting at them. We were told to be quiet and the crowd almost without exception were silent. Then the roar after the last changeover was deafening. Some runners were running with guides so the changeovers were quite chaotic. Then out on the track came the T42/46 relay and our second view of Oscar. We had watched the officials earlier taping the track in front of us and now we were watching the athletes getting ready. This relay is done by touch as some athletes don’t have hands to carry the baton. Why don’t all relays? The stadium went crazy as soon as this race started – Pistorius was on the last leg for South Africa. I so wanted them to win so that Oscar could have his first gold from these games. You wouldn’t believe how fast they are running, some on 2 blades – wow! I am especially amazed, as I would struggle to run at all now with all my joint problems. Gold for South Africa!

Leaving the stadium I felt such a mixture of emotions sad that it was over but so, so thankful that I had been well enough to be there. It was the best of days.