October 28, 2017 Dolphin Digest 13On Sept. 26, 2017 my two worlds became one. I had a unique opportunity to return home to England, but this time
with my team. It was a very special trip for me, having the chance to cheer at Wembley Stadium, alongside participat-
ing in a variety of NFL-themed events at iconic London landmarks. The team’s fun-filled week in London was non-stop
action. From photo shoots and interviews with newspapers and radio stations, to live performances and meet-and-greet
fan events at the Hard Rock Café. I had a fantastic time participating in the Play 60 event, where we got to meet the kids
from a local primary school and get involved with some football drills
taught by our own Miami Dolphins players. We topped the tour off
with the big game at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 1, 2017.
Although I am originally from the south-west of England, prior to
my move abroad with a professional dance company, I lived in Lon-
don for a number of years. Like many other people who live and
work in the big city, I didn’t always make it a priority to do the tourist
thing and visit all the popular or historic sights of London. However,
this visit was special and I visited many of London’s landmarks dur-
ing events and photo shoots with my teammates.
On our first day in London, we started at Buckingham Palace and
made our way through St James’s Park, we visited the Queen’s
Royal Horse Guards, White Hall, Tower Bridge, and Abbey Road,
known for where the Beatles recorded their still-loved music.
I was also able to see my family and friends while in London;
they came to all of the fan events and game day. Apart from my sis-
ter, it was the first time any of them had seen me perform with the
team.
It was nice to tell my teammates about different places, intro-
duce them to my family, show them where I used to work, and give
them advice on what to try and to see. Normally I’m the one ask-
ing all the questions about Florida.
During the week we also enjoyed time on Regent
Street, Piccadilly Circus, the River Thames dinner cruise
where we cruised passed South Bank, the London Eye,
Westminster Abbey, and Big Ben. One of our biggest per-
formances was on Regent Street in front of a huge crowd.
We spent plenty of time meeting fans. This is a truly re-
warding part of cheering and something that I really love:
getting to know our loyal Dolfans from all over the world.
You know what they say, time flies when you’re hav-
ing fun! The week’s end on Sunday came around quickly.
With a 6 a.m. wake-up call, and feeling more nervous yet
excited than ever, we set off for Game Day at Wembley
Stadium. Wembley truly is amazing and huge is an under-
statement; we cheered in front of 84,000 football fans.
Visiting London with the Miami Dolphins has been the
highlight of my career, being on home soil and singing my
national anthem was unbelievable. I’m still feeling over-
whelmed with the love and support from my country, and
how welcomed we were. It’s great to see and experience
how big American football is becoming back in Britain.
I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to experi-
ence the best of both worlds; cheering with my team in
both the U.S. and the U.K. has been a dream come true.
If you’re still reaching for your dream, keep working
hard and remember, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
— Holly
Holly’s Homecoming