Below is a new video blog entry about some of the Dryland training that I have been doing to get back in proper aerobic shape after my down time from the car accident.

This was my first practice back in the buildup towards the 2012 Olympics next summer. I eased into it with a leisurely open water swim at Maracas Bay.

This is the first part and into of a multipart season long series about preparing for the upcoming 2012 Olympics.

SWIM from George Bovell on Vimeo.

I would like to take the time to thank all of the people who have stood by me and have wished me a speedy recovery over the last few days. I would like to thanks Andrew Potts, Imran Jan and Dr. Mohammed who assisted me on the roadside after my accident.

I am currently resting at home and restlessly looking forward to resuming my training.  I have had a headache like a bad hangover for a few days and some vision problems but I see perfectly again and the headache is now very faint and improves daily.

I firmly believe that you can’t always affect the circumstances but can control your attitude towards them. In some ways this down time, so far its been 1.5 weeks, may actually be a good thing. It was an incredibly arduous year with two seasons rolled into one long one with no rest. This is  because of the Pan American Games falling in October in between the World Champs and the upcoming Olympics. This forced rest will make me come back more hungry, fresh and both physically and mentally and tougher as I build up again and start the Olympic season. Woah!, that word Olympic just gives me goosebumps.

I haven’t yet ruled out the Pan Am Games in October but currently I am of the opinion that refocussing on the Olympics next year and getting into my base training again might be the more prudent move. I have already been to three Games and have won 5 medals, am deep down inside seeking a 6th. I will see how things go next week when I start to ease back into training and then play things by ear.

Have I learnt anything from this? Yes, I need to strive for more balance in my life. Time for family, enjoyment and working towards goals. I have tended to become too focused on the end result of desired success to much and have neglected other aspects of my life. I need to make success the by product of enjoying the process and striving to be the best I can be.

For those of you who don’t know I was recently in a terrible car accident, and luckiy walked away. Below is an  fairly accurate exceprt form one of the local newspapers, the Newsday.

Olympic bronze medallist George Bovell III cheated death yesterday morning after he crashed his car in an accident while on his way to spearfish at an oil platform in Mayaro.

Bovell was in the Manzanilla area at about 7.05 am when his car collided with a truck proceeding in the opposite direction.

The three-time Olympic swimmer, who was diagnosed with a concussion, was assisted by passers-by including former national cricketer Imran Jan and his wife who is a doctor.

The former Sportsman of the Year, who was unconscious, was rushed to the Sangre Grande District Hospital where he received initial treatment and was stabilised.

A CAT (CT) scan was done which showed no major damage except for “one area of concern”. He was then transferred to the St Clair Medical Centre in Port-of-Spain where he was warded and neurosurgeons there carried out additional tests which revealed he was concussed.

The 28-year-old, who initially was unable to recall the accident, also suffered cuts and contusions to his head, lacerations on his left ankle and complained of blurred vision while at St Clair Medical Centre.

He is however, resting comfortably at the institution with his relieved family and is expected to be kept overnight for observation.

A nervous-looking Minister of Sports Anil Roberts as well as former national swimmer Paul Newallo were present at St Clair Medical Centre awaiting Bovell who arrived in an ambulance, at about 12 noon, and spoke briefly to Roberts who is also Bovell’s personal coach.

“I thank God that he is alright. Trinidad and Tobago, we can say a prayer that he is okay. They are going to observe and we await for the final report on the little portion (of concern identified in the CT scan). You know once you are dealing with the brain, I will always be a little concerned but the good thing is his memory has come back and there are no broken bones,” said Roberts.

According to Roberts, Bovell, after an early training session, was driving by himself to Mayaro to spearfish, one of his favourite hobbies, with a professional free diver.

“The car that he was driving (there were) some little problems with the brakes. When he was coming around a corner, the brakes locked up (and) he lost control. There was an oncoming truck, I believe, he saw it coming (and) luckily because he is an athlete…he was able even though his seatbelt was on…to shift his entire body weight to the passenger side. From what he tells me, the entire driver side was crushed and caved in. Had he been trapped in there, it could have been much worse,” Roberts exclaimed.

The Sports Minister said he was lost for words when he heard the news but immediately began making calls to get apprised of the situation.

“I was speechless,” Roberts stammered, “I asked about four times if it was his father (George Bovell II) because I know George (III) trained last night (and) this morning (yesterday) and everything was okay. Immediately I was in contact with his uncle Richard (Bovell) and I was getting full reports and updates so about five minutes after I was calmer knowing he was alright,” he said.

Bovell earned TT’s first-ever Olympic swim medal, claiming bronze at the 2004 Olympics in the Men’s 200m Individual Medley in one minute, 58.50 seconds.

Roberts was reluctant to say whether the injury could curtail the former Sportsman of the Year’s preparation for the Pan Am Games scheduled for October 14–30, 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

“I have to see under their bandages how much stitches there are (because) if there are stitches he won’t be able to go in the water which will hold us back a little bit because October is right there. If that is the case and he can’t go in the pool, we will have to be creative and do (training) in the gym and cross-training,” he explained.

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HEAD SWIMMING