Cameron in Beijing!

G'day Everyone!

Well I have arrived in Beijing after a 12hr flight with little sleep, taxi straight to hotel, shower and change into our uniforms and headed straight to the Paralympic athletes village.

Our initial shift was meant to begin at 8am and finish at 11pm.  Our flight arrival time only allowed us to arrive at the repair station at about 10 am.  Starving and exhausted we were told to go and get some food at the staff food hall.  On arrival there we were told (incorrectly) that we should eat in the athlete’s food hall.  This was a much better option as there were about 10 different stalls serving different food from all over the world from health food right the way through to McDonalds (I guess those throwers and weight lifters need to get their energy from somewhere!) 

Back to the repair centre and it was all about setting the centre up.  Amazing amount of equipment.  Everything you could dream of for a prosthetic, orthotic and wheelchair workshop and all of it had been flown in form Germany.  Routers, grinders, drill presses, ovens, welders, air compressors, benches and the likes all had to be installed.  Each bench was set up with a huge array of tools that was more comprehensive than an entire Australian workshop and there must have been 10 benches set up in the central workshop!  A further 12 or so benches were set up with tools and posted to all of the satellite workshops at each of the sporting venues.  I will be visiting some of these later in the week. 

An entire room the size of APC's foyer was set up with stock.  Prosthetic components, feet, knees, pylons, and adaptors you name it.  Wheelchair tyres, tubes, and all kinds of spares as well as orthotic devices and brochures filled the rest of the room.  Obviously most of the stock was Otto Bock equipment, however there was a selection of non Otto Bock components - for example flex foot cheetah sprint legs of all categories and endolight feet and ankle to name a few.  The idea being that whatever repair on whatever walks or wheels its ways through the doors can be repaired or replaced.  The first day was more setting up than repairing as a number of countries and their teams were yet to arrive in the village.  However there were a handful of wheelchair repairs and a few prosthetic repairs done.
Cheers Cam.

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