Chicago World Championships 2015

When we arrived on Monday, it felt as though we had landed in Hawaii rather than Chicago; the humidity was totally draining. Checking in for packet pick up for the Aquathlon for Steve that would be on Wednesday 16th September and the Sprint event for me on Thursday it was baking hot around the race venue with little shade anywhere. Steve can cope with hot weather a lot better than me, he loves sunshine, where as I have suffered skin problems from sun exposure and get to feel faint in any prolonged period in the sun.
On the flight out our seats were right at the back of our BA plane and those little directional air vents were not working in our section of the plane. When I started to sweat buckets as if I was under a shower, I got up to try to make it to the toilets where I intended to try to cool my face and hands but before I got there I passed out and found myself on the floor right at the back. I got up onto all fours but blacked out again. Surprisingly nobody noticed or came by. Finally by climbing with my hands up the wall I got myself up to a standing position and slowly made it to my gangway seat that, thank heaven, was just one seat away.
I slumped down into the seat next to Steve where he had been sleeping with such sack of potatoes fall that he woke with a start and saw that I was not well. He called for cabin crew member and told them that I was unwell. They brought cold flannels and then realised that that was not enough to cool me down. Steve was asked to help me get along to the galley where it was cooler. We sat there together for more than an hour, where I sucked copious amounts of ice cubes and Steve dripped ice over my head and neck and chest. Gradually I recovered a little but still felt rotten. The pilot turned the temperature of the whole aircraft down for my benefit and eventually I was able to return to my seat.
This was not a good start to the week ahead with two World Championship races coming up so quickly.
On landing, the hour plus getting through immigration was not a great help and Steve decided to get a taxi in to the city. This alone was not easy since we had as luggage, two huge bike boxes, two suitcases and our carry on bags. In the end we found a taxi large enough to take everything and without further ado made it to our hotel in the 'Magnificent Mile' of the downtown area of Chicago.