Bio
How I started:
I got into my sport because I did athletics in school and I found out I was quite quick through sports day’s and other events. I ended up running for my school competitively in regionals from around 14-15, and then as I got older I began taking it seriously around the age of 17, and started training and competing for the Newham Essex Beagles in the national league. This is when I thought I could be really good at this!
My Greatest Achievement:
My greatest achievement is winning a medal at the World Universaid Championships in 1995 after achieving my first British vest in 1993 in the relay. It was an unbelievable feeling competing for the country, and this gave me the drive and confidence to really push harder for my goals after 1993 and I changed some of my aims. I wanted to make the national finals, which I did in 1994 and then going on to medal in Japan in 1995.
My Greatest Challenge:
My greatest challenge was getting injured at the national trials in 1996, I injured my groin, and didn’t think it was that serious until I got to the trials. I saw the doctor, and he diagnosed me at the trials meaning I had to pull out! As a coach, I was training an athlete who made the Olympics, and medalled at the World Championships, and then we came back to training, and she simply slipped while walking and ended up with an injury that put her out for two years. I just wanted her to run, but as a young coach, I was helping her heal a very delicate injury, which is why the process took so long, but this was a very stressful time.
My Hobbies:
My hobbies outside of athletics include travelling, driving, and watching a lot of detective series’! I have visited a lot of different places through athletics, and I loved Japan and Vancouver the most!
My Future Aspirations:
In the future I would like to coach an Olympic or world medallist for Great Britain. And continue travelling to all of the places I’ve enjoyed as an athlete and as a coach. I’d also love to mentor a young person through to some sort of excellence in what they do, I like to describe it as cutting the journey short for someone.
