My sporting isolation: alex davis - 'moving back home for the first time in seven years has been surreal'

Alex Davis 03 April 2020 11:11am BST > THE CORONAVIRUS HAS WREAKED HAVOC ACROSS THE SPORTING LANDSCAPE. > STARTING THIS WEEK A NUMBER OF ATHLETES FROM MULTIPLE SPORTS TELL > US HOW 

THEIR WORLDS HAVE BEEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AND HOW THEY ARE > DEALING WITH THE SITUATION, BOTH AS SPORTSPEOPLE AND IN THEIR > PERSONAL LIVES. Since going into self-isolation I have

found poetry very reassuring. I bought a few books before we went to the Los Angeles and Vancouver Sevens last month – they are called the Poetry Pharmacy. They are quite poignant because

they are poems that are prescribed for people to read with various conditions. Some are quite apt for the current climate. I have also decided to start a campaign on Instagram to support our

amazing NHS workers called #ShaveDonateNominate. The idea is to raise as much money as possible through a nationwide head shave. Lots of rugby players from sevens and XVs have gotten

involved such as Ruairidh McConnochie and Kent and England cricketer Sam Billings, as well as members of the public. We reached our initial target of £10,000 target in just a week. Together,

the funds we raise could contribute towards protective clothing for nurses and doctors, more hospital beds or equipment to support those who are suffering. I like to say that from this you

lose a little (hair) but give a lot. > View this post on Instagram >  > @shavedonatenominate The government are telling us all to stay at > home unless essential while they 

tackle this ongoing and > unpredictable emergency. Our amazing NHS workers are on the front > line of this tragic pandemic, risking their own health each and > every day to save 

lives. To show our support for the wonderful work > the NHS continue to do during the Coronavirus crisis, we aim to > raise as much money as possible through a nationwide head shave

> @instagram campaign. We recognise this is a difficult time for the > whole nation, worrying about the health of loved ones and personal > finances, but every little counts so 

please donate what you can. > Together, the funds we raise could contribute towards protective > clothing for nurses and doctors, more hospital beds or equipment to > support those 

who are suffering. Lose a little but give a lot. > Donation link in my profile. #ShaveHeadsSaveLives #StayAtHome > #ShaveAtHome #NHS #Charity #Health #Corona #Covid_19 #Britain #UK

>  > A post shared by Alex Davis (@ajldavis) on Mar 25, 2020 at 8:04am > PDT I guess this just shows that day-to-day life has a lot less structure now than it used to. I

haven't seen most of my England Sevens team-mates for almost three weeks now, and the last time we met was a bit strange. We were at the Lensbury Club, where we train, collecting kit

and had to go in one-by-one for safety. We all just wanted to chat while keeping our distance as we knew it would be the last time we would see each other for a while. Since then I have been

back home in Bristol with my mum Lyndsay and dog Archie. That has felt a bit surreal because I haven’t lived at home in seven years. I use Archie to help me train by taking him out for

runs, and I even think my Mum might get involved – though she might stay from a safe distance with some of my rugby training! I often have to remind myself what day of the week it is because

I have lost track of that. I still have to fit training in everyday but it is very flexible. I have decided to write myself a checklist of what I have done each day and that could anything

from reading a bit more poetry to making sure I do some skills in the garden. That has certainly been enjoyable, at least.