The home crowd drove me to victory – nine-medal Orla
GUERNSEY’S golden Games girl Orla Rabey says it was the support of the home crowd which inspired her remarkable haul of nine medals in the pool this week.
She set a string of island and Games records on her way to three individual gold medals, one individual bronze, and five team medals – three gold, one silver and one bronze.
‘Having the whole Guernsey swim family up on the balcony and a bunch of my friends in the crowd was so special. Especially because some of my friends have never really seen me race before.
‘They drove me on to keep winning more medals. Winning in front of that support just meant so much.
‘I can hardly put into words what these home Games have meant to me. This week will stay with me for the rest of my life.’
Orla won individual golds in the 50m butterfly, 100m butterfly and 200m butterfly and bronze in the 400m freestyle. She was part of Guernsey’s relay teams which won gold in 4x50m medley, 4x50m freestyle and 4x100m medley, silver in the 4x50m freestyle and bronze in the 4x100m freestyle.
Orla was in gold medal-winning teams at the 2017 Games in Gotland, but before this week she had not won an individual gold.
‘Winning individual golds is something else. You know it’s down to your hard work.
‘When I won the 200m fly yesterday and realised I had the triple crown – 50m, 100m and 200m fly – I got a bit emotional standing on the podium singing Sarnia Cherie.
‘The competition this week was fierce and it was so rewarding and so special to have those medals around my neck on the podium in front of my home crowd.’
Guernsey’s swimmers finished second in the overall medal table, winning 10 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze. They finished in style on the last night in the pool, smashing the Games record in the 4x100m medley.
‘I love competing alongside my teammates and that was a very special moment.
‘There have been so many special moments in these Games. Another was when one of my training partners, Molly Staples and I, got one and two in the 50m fly. I think we brought our coach to tears.’
At the end of last year Orla feared she might miss the Games after tearing ligaments in her knee. She required intensive rehabilitation and put off surgery to race this week.
‘To be honest, I’m still injured. Next week I’m going in for surgery on my knee. It can’t wait any longer.
‘I’ve been very lucky because I’ve had an amazing support network to help me rehabilitate and get ready for the Games.
‘But I can’t run properly. I have to rely on my other leg when I do turns. I can really only swim and cycle and I can’t swim breaststroke at the moment.’
Orla woke up yesterday morning as the most decorated local athlete at Guernsey 2023.
‘I feel like the adrenaline hasn’t left my system. It’s absolutely beyond my expectations. To get nine medals around my neck – it’s just such a fantastic feeling.’
