Sarah Jacobsen was a young athlete in our athletics club who had just been picked to represent GB at under-20 level at the European U20 Championships in Seville in Spain.
Back at home, we all crowded round our mobile devices on the Thursday evening training session as Sarah ran her semi-final. If she could have heard us, our cheering alone, would have propelled her to victory, not that she needed our assistance, as with a perfectly timed charge she pipped the two leaders to win her heat, and in a new PB. We were all delighted and couldn't wait for her final which would be on the following evening.
So, at 7:45 the following night, a group of coaches gathered at the track to watch Sarah in the final. Unfortunately, almost from the off, we could see that she was not running with her usual fluency, and although she tried to fight back, she ended up well off the pace back in sixth place.
We consoled ourselves with the thoughts that at least she had won her semi, made the final, and set a new PB. Perhaps the excitement of all her recent achievements had got to her.
The following Tuesday, Sarah was back at training. I am not her coach, as I actually worked with several of the younger groups. But, I was also quite handy with video and recording software, and over the weekend had spent time looking at Sarah's running between her semi and the final, info that I had passed on to her own coach.
As Barbara talked through her races with her, trying to work out what had gone so wrong in the final, Sarah became rather upset and stormed off, exclaiming that she didn't want to talk about it.
Barbara came over to see me, in rather a foul mood, and asked if I could talk to Sarah and go through my video work with her. I said that I would try.
So, at the end of the session, having sent my training group off with their parents, I went to catch Sarah before she too headed home.
"Hi Sarah" I mumbled, as I approached her, "Babs has asked if I can take you through your runs?"
"Not now!" she grunted back, but then with a sigh of her shoulders added, "Could you come over and see me tomorrow?"
One of the joys of being a teacher is those long summer holidays, and as I still had two weeks before term restarted, I certainly had time to spare.
"Sure. When?" I enquired, a little more hopefully.
"Would ten be OK?" she suggested.
"Yes, ten would be fine. See you then!" as I let her head off to her waiting collection. I gave Babs a thumbs-up as well, as she had been watching our little chat from a discrete distance.
So, the next morning, I arrived at ten and rang their doorbell. It took Sarah almost a minute to answer, and I was beginning to think she had forgotten that I was coming. But I was greeted with a big beaming smile as she opened the door, dressed in her GB tracksuit.
"You look very good in it!" I complimented, "I hope it's just the first of many!"
Sarah mumbled something that I didn't catch, as she led me through to the family lounge.
Sitting down, I opened my laptop and started it up.
"Well, shall we have a little look at your races then?" I queried, as I waited for it to boot completely.
"We don't need to do that," whispered Sarah, "I know exactly why I didn't run well in the final!"
"Ohh!" I asked, puzzled.
"I had just had sex a couple of hours earlier," she explained very quietly, looking very embarrassed.
I burst out laughing. It was not the explanation I had been expecting!
"Yes, that could do it!" I replied jokingly, "Although some people claim that it improves performance!" I added trying to lighten the atmosphere.
Sarah just shook her head and looked very tearful.
"I'd never done it before, and it hurt really bad," she explained, as she slowly began to sob.
I was stunned that Sarah seemed so open with this new information and was also surprised to find myself becoming aroused.
I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a big hug.
"Congratulations!" I quietly murmured in her ear, "You can definitely be called an Under-20 Woman now."
Sarah sobbed again.
"It's OK!" I reassured her, "We don't have to tell anyone what happened."
"But, I need to!" Sarah groaned, "I didn't think it would be like that!"
Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief, I was desperate to find out how this delightful young creature had lost her virginity.
"I'm willing to listen," I suggested, "But, maybe you'd rather speak to someone else about it?"
Sarah shook her head as she broke our hug and looked at me.
"No. I want to tell you. Then you can tell me what should have happened!" she pleaded.
Now it was my turn to feel embarrassed.
I nodded reluctantly.
"OK Sarah, tell me what happened. Just take your time."
So, she began.