The team have performed extremely well and I am impressed with the level of competition here at the 2013 European Youth Olympic Festival in the Netherlands. The way the athletes have applied themselves to their sports shows how incredibly dedicated they are and that is illustrated by the amazing results we have had. Finishing second on the medal table is an incredible achievement and something I am very proud of.

It has been a fantastic opportunity for me as a first-time Chef and I am extremely proud to have been given the opportunity by the British Olympic Association. I think it is a great step forward to include retired Olympic medallists in events such as these. The athletes are at a stage in their careers where any positive influence could impact their senior careers so to be part of this step is very rewarding.

It has also been good for me, the athletes and the coaches to gain experience of other sports, to watch and talk to them to see if we can learn anything to take into our own events.


I've found my role as Chef has been particularly important in talking to athletes who haven't necessarily done as well as they would have hoped. It is inevitable at any event that some athletes will be upset with their performance, but I have tried to talk to them and tell them that you often learn more in adversity than in success. It has been a great chance for all the athletes and coaches to experience what can be the difficult Olympic environment.

That's where being a former athlete is helpful because they know I have been through it before myself and I can empathise with them. The other side is that when they have performed well I can understand the effort and hard work they have put in and they recognise the fact that I know how difficult it is and see the effect it can have on their performance.


I have been to all the events Team GB has competed in and they have all been incredible to watch. The girls' road race on Thursday was brilliant and I was really proud of Abby Mae Parkinson – she rode so hard to enable Grace Garner and Charlotte Broughton to get medals. That a 15-year-old can sacrifice their own chances in that way for her teammates is a real illustration of the teamwork that all the athletes here have shown.

The real highlight for me though has been the way the sports have integrated. The small teams have mixed well with the larger teams, they have really understood what the Olympics are all about and are learning all the time. We work as "One Team GB", and we really have. Athletes from five different sports have come together and over the course of a week have formed a real team environment.

This is typified by all the sports coming down to watch the final sessions at the gymnastics and in pool this afternoon. Everyone else has finished and to see them cheering on their team mates from the stands was fantastic.


Last night was the Closing Ceremony and it was great for the athletes to get the opportunity to celebrate Team GB's success. Whilst I have been to Olympic Closing Ceremonies before I never had the chance to march in the Athletes' Parade, at the Opening Ceremony, so it was a first for me, and it was surprisingly emotional. There were a lot of parents in the stands, so for the athletes to share that experience with them was nice.

I can't believe we are now on our way home, the week has flown by. Someone asked if I would consider doing something like this again and the answer was absolutely yes. It's a fantastic role to have done, and I would do anything to be involved again. Giving back to sport, however I can, is very important for me.

Sarah Gosling is a British double Olympic sailing champion. She was Team GB Chef de Mission for the 2013 European Youth Olympic Festival in Utrecht.