Swan song

The youngest performed her swan song as a double dutch skipper yesterday at the 2022 Australian Rope Skipping Championships.

She’s decided to take a break from the sport for the rest of the year. If she returns, she reckons she will stick to solo and pairs routines.

Waiting for the results of her swan song had me on the edge of my office chair.

I got a message from my ex saying: “So this is exciting and potentially wrenching. The team nailed their four-person double dutch routine in a a very tight contest, but it could be a medal winner.”

I was delighted and anxious in equal measure. Sadly he followed up with a message a few hours later to say the numbers had been crunched and the team had come fourth.

No medal. Sad face.

He sent me the video and it’s pretty fab, apart from one error at the end. However, they were pipped at the post because their routine wasn’t difficult enough.

While there is always a chance the youngest will be enticed back into double dutch, she reckons that’s the end of it. She wants to focus on the HSC and AFL.

Here are a couple of official photos from her swan song three-person double dutch routine on Monday. Look at them fly!

Ah well, nothing lasts forever, especially knee cartilage if you do too many double unders.

Now it’s time for a different sort of swan song, as the youngest dreams about being a Sydney Swans AFLW player.

She’s signed up for spring/summer AFL, so the eye-watering tackling will kick off again soon.

Song of the day: Malcolm McLaren “Double Dutch”