Ellie Kildunne’s Paris 2024 Olympic diary

The Paris 2024 Olympic Video games noticed the game of rugby sevens seize the creativeness of recent followers all over the world. From Ilona Maher’s social sensation to Eire girls’s viral heroics, it lastly had its Olympic second.

Centre to all of it was Group GB’s Ellie Kildunne. In her first-ever Olympic Video games, the 24-year-old rejoined the sevens setup following a stellar 15s season with Harlequins and the England Purple Roses.

Whereas there, Kildunne gave Rugby World an unique look into what it’s wish to stay within the Olympic village, stumble upon Serena Williams and realise a dream in turning into an Olympian…

THE JOURNEY TO THE GAMES

I used to be so near being an Olympian in Tokyo and it was such a tough determination to step away from sevens THE once I did. It remained an itch I wanted to scratch. With the brand new England XVs teaching workers coming in, with John Mitchell as head coach, I believed if I’m going to ask about it then now’s the time. I used to be ready for the worst, so I didn’t get my hopes too excessive. After which I simply was on a name with Mitch and informed him how a lot it might imply to me to go to an Olympics. And he sort of simply stated, “Yeah, why not?”

To have that simply lifted a lot weight off my shoulders, as a result of I believed it was going to be a extremely tough dialog to have. I believed it was going to be forwards and backwards, however he stated he was by no means going to face in the way in which of anybody eager to observe their goals. After I went again into the set-up with Meg Jones, the women welcomed us with open arms. It was as if we’d by no means been away. They’re a particular group of ladies. I truthfully can’t clarify how wonderful they’re, the tradition they’ve created, all of the issues that they’ve been via, all of the exhausting occasions.

For the precise choice, we have been informed we have been going to get a telephone name at seven o’clock within the night. Seven o’clock handed. Worst. Case. Situation. As a lot as this may imply every thing to me, to be a dream come true, I simply have to return into 15s. Then the message got here via that I’d made the workforce. I used to be lucky to file the entire thing on considered one of my cameras. I known as my mum. She began crying, I began crying. And it simply hit me that I’m gonna be an Olympian.

REALISING THE DREAM

I’ve managed to clarify what the sensation was like being an Olympian. So on the final day of the Olympics, I spent about two hours switching off my telephone, and I simply walked across the village. I’m within the village with all these athletes which have skilled for 4 years to be an Olympian. Now, the previous 4 years, I’ve not identified that it’s been a chance to be an Olympian. That doesn’t imply I haven’t needed it, as a result of I’ve all the time needed it, however I hadn’t had these 4 years with it as a sole focus.

And it hasn’t actually hit me but as a result of I’ve gone straight into camp with England once more. Life is going on in moments and they’re coming so shortly after one another. One minute, I’m Six Nations Participant of the Championship. Subsequent minute, I’m an Olympian. Subsequent minute, we’re hopefully going to win WXV. Then it’s the Six Nations once more, then a house World Cup. And these moments come so quick that you simply don’t all the time have time to take a seat and course of what’s simply occurred. Turning into an Olympian is a second that I’ll in all probability take time to course of. Course of working out for the primary sport, course of getting my Olympic rings tattoo.

Associated: Is Antoine Dupont the most effective participant on the planet?

In camp now, the women are asking me how was it? I haven’t actually discovered the phrases to explain precisely how
it was. I simply hold saying it was insane. It’s but to hit me.

THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE

The Olympic Village is a particular place. You already know, you stroll round and also you’ve received all these blocks which are devoted to completely different international locations with everybody strolling round of their nation’s equipment. It was like being in a online game, that’s how I can finest clarify it!

It’s such as you’ve received gamers in a sport. You’re one character after which there’s different characters strolling round, and then you definately stumble upon Serena Williams, and like, nicely, that’s one other unlocked character. It’s so surreal like that. You’ve gotten all these wonderful individuals with wonderful tales simply strolling round, using on the free bikes, having espresso, enjoyable. You’d then see somebody doing wheelies down the street.

It felt like I belonged there however on the identical time, it felt like, wow, am I actually right here? As if Andy Murray is simply sitting having a cup of tea subsequent to me. It’s these small moments that you simply realise what you’re doing is fairly particular. We’re elite athletes and we do all 100% belong right here.

“Wow, am I actually right here? As if Andy Murray is sitting having a cup of tea subsequent to me”

I used to be strolling round in the future and there have been a couple of athletes sitting on the Fijian home. They have been sitting round singing, taking part in guitar and having enjoyable. I sat and watched them for ten minutes they usually invited me over. These are recollections that can stay with me perpetually. And one other factor that was actually cool is that every thing was free. You went as much as the snack bars, received an ice cream, they usually stated, “Okay, thanks. Bye.” And that was fairly cool. And I received a free Samsung flip telephone which I’m calling my work telephone. It felt such as you’re in a very completely different world.

OPENING CEREMONY

With the timing of the sevens occasion, we couldn’t be a part of the opening ceremony on the River Seine however we have been nonetheless concerned within the village.

We went exterior our home and we clapped the athletes off who have been going to the ceremony. We additionally ended up clapping a few of the smaller international locations that have been a couple of blocks down from us as a result of they walked via as nicely, which was very particular to do. As soon as they got here via I used to be like, “I have to go get my digital camera.”

I ran off with one of many women and once I say the heavens opened, as quickly as we began going it was torrential rain. I grabbed a type of emergency ponchos and wrapped it round my digital camera as a result of I needed to get pictures of everybody.

What was good is that we received to look at a few of the wonderful outfits that have been on present. All these completely different cultures gown in a sure means, and we have been in a position to see that, and that was actually, actually particular to see that, as a result of often you see everybody in sports activities equipment and also you mix into one.

It was of their opening ceremony outfits that you simply realised there’s so many various international locations right here, with a great deal of completely different backgrounds and experiences. I managed to get some footage of athletes from Ghana and Sri Lanka earlier than the rain actually began. They regarded so good.

Our ceremony outfit was made by Ben Sherman, it wasn’t fairly the identical. Experiencing a few of the completely different cultures which are on the Video games was very particular as nicely. I attempted to get a couple of extra pictures however I received a message on my digital camera that I used to be getting a moist lens due to the rain, so I needed to name it a day.

THE GAMES ITSELF

We have been the primary sport of the Olympics for ladies’s rugby sevens. We had already watched the lads’s occasion and noticed it was a sell-out. And I feel being a feminine participant, you’re all the time conditioned to assume that we’re not going to have the ability to do this, however, oh my, have been we proved unsuitable. As we arrived on the floor to go for the warm-up, I caught a glimpse of the stadium via one of many tunnels. I may see there have been a couple of individuals there however not a packed home. I believed, it’s the primary sport, no matter, it’ll get busier. We then didn’t see the pitch till we ran out for the sport.

Once you run out, it’s virtually like Britain’s Received Expertise, you don’t see the stadium till you’re on the pitch. Once we ran out, and realised the stadium was packed, I couldn’t consider it. All of us received to the center of the pitch, checked out one another and giggled, as a result of it was like, that is loopy.

“Experiencing a few of the completely different cultures which are on the Video games was very particular”

Then it was fast, fast, proper, okay, we go into this sport now, focus. I’ve performed in nearly-sold out stadiums with 15s and this felt completely different. In 15s, you’ve got house and away, so it’s very, very loud at sure factors. It’s loud in sevens however completely different. The group is made up of so many various teams of individuals collectively from completely different sports activities from completely different international locations.

It felt like a noise that was there on a regular basis, so you might sort of hear everyone. I didn’t wrestle speaking, whereas within the 15s generally it’s exhausting to listen to the individual subsequent to you. Then each time I caught a breather, which isn’t usually in sevens, I’d search for on the crowd and it was a bit like, that is loopy. Usually, I like with the ability to spot my household within the crowd, however there have been so many individuals there, you might by no means spot them. It was unbelievable nevertheless it was additionally powerful. The USA sport was completely heartbreaking, as we knew it took us out of being in a medal-winning place once you’ve labored so exhausting for it.

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We all know we will beat America, yeah, however in sevens, something can occur.One thing that I’ve discovered from this expertise is the power to bounce again in such a brief period of time. In 15s, should you lose the sport, you’ve received a full week till the following one. In sevens, we had an evening. All of us got here again to the village, sat in one of many women’ rooms, had a cup of tea and simply spoke. It wasn’t even about rugby. Then we have been prepared for the following day.

THE MOMENT & THE LEGACY

We’re continuously reminded as feminine gamers that we’re X quantity of years behind the lads’s sport. That we’re the place the lads have been 20 years in the past, no matter it could be. I don’t agree and I feel this Olympics proved that.

Social media has put us into the highlight. It’s telling individuals’s tales and capturing imaginations all over the world. Moments like when Erin King of Eire lifted and held Emily Lane over her head and it went viral. Ilona Maher turning into one of many greatest names of the Olympics. We at the moment are accessible to everybody on the planet. It exhibits everyone what we will do as gamers, which is admittedly, actually thrilling.

I feel girls’s rugby may have a large second going ahead because of the Video games and we will seize that in future occasions once more, whether or not that be in WXV or a Six Nations or Premiership Girls’s Rugby. It’s simply going to be a curler coaster of a number of highs and I can’t wait to be part of it. Proper now, I can’t say what girls’s rugby goes to appear like sooner or later – however I do know it’s going to be completely large.

The Olympic diary of Ellie Kildunne featured in Difficulty 302 of Rugby World.

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