Event: 60m hurdles, 110m hurdles
DOB: 15/05/92
Age: 18
How do you feel about being a SPAR star?
Really good actually, I was really pleased when I got the invitation through because the benefits are obviously very good and it was nice to get some recognition for the work I’m doing. I thought it was a really good idea for them to offer the £250 worth of grocery shopping at SPAR – being a student at university I think that’ll be the most beneficial to me. And there’s obviously the European Indoor Championships trip to Paris, which I’m really looking forward to.
You’re at uni now…
Yes, I moved to Bristol to go to university in September and I moved training groups as well. I’m studying business studies and marketing.
Are you thinking about a career after athletics?
I haven’t thought about it really. I’m doing that as a degree because I’d like to do something in business and it’s something that I enjoyed more than any other subject. Something in marketing would be quite good.
You’ve moved training groups, have you moved trainer as well?
I have, yes. My head coach now is Malcolm Arnold, who’s the national event coach at hurdles, but I was planning this move all along with my previous coach.
Is it hard to adapt to a new coach and new training regime?
Yes, it is quite. I think the good thing for me was that we planned it before it happened so it was no shock and I’d already started doing some of Malcolm’s sessions while I was at home with my old coach. It’s been challenging, and the work rate has definitely stepped up.
What do you think is your best achievement so far in athletics?
Running the British record at the British Junior Championships last year was quite a highlight for me. Unfortunately injury stopped the outdoor season, which I was looking forward to.
How did you get injured?
It was a stress fracture in my left foot. Touch wood, at the moment it’s all fine and I haven’t had any problems with it for a fair few months now so I’m hoping that’s done with.
You started training at 10 – that’s quite young, isn’t it?
At the time I was playing general sports – football, rugby, anything that was going. I’ve only really been hurdling since I was about 15. Then I came second at a Championships and that’s when I thought I should concentrate on it a bit more.
How do you deal with losing a race?
It definitely depends on the race. If it's one where I would have expected to win it can be really hard. It’s just a case of identifying why you lost – was it something that you could have done better or was it out of your control? If it was out of your control then you can’t be too hard on yourself.
How have you found juggling Uni with training?
It has been really hard at times, just because where I train is a 40-minute drive from where I’m staying at Uni so the travelling time makes things harder. Generally if I concentrate and put some work in it’s not too hard to juggle. I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of support from my coach and training group who have been quite flexible.
How many hours training do you do?
I train 6 days a week and our sessions are quite relaxed, we train for 2-3 hours per training session.
When you were younger you trained with seniors – what did that do for you?
When I was about 12 or 13 I started showing a talent for long and triple jump. Also, coming from quite a small club I had begun to stand out a bit and the senior coach at the club said, ‘I think we should pull you out of your age group to come and train with the senior group.’ It was really good; it certainly meant I grew up a lot quicker. I understood a lot more about the sport and how to behave, and about competitions a lot earlier on, which I think definitely helped. When I trained with people that are far better and stronger it seemed to work very well because I was motivated to get better. I think it was definitely a good decision and a much better environment for me.
What is your biggest motivator now?
I think I’m definitely more motivated having been injured because to not be able to compete is horrible. And I’ve always been very competitive – I just enjoy winning!
What do you like to do when you get spare time?
At the moment spare time’s a bit limited just because I’m trying to balance work as well. When I do get spare time I quite like watching films and reading quite a bit. I spend a lot of time on the Internet, checking general news online and just reading really. I really like autobiographies.
Do you tend to go for autobiographies by athletes?
If there’s something that really interests me about a certain person then I like to read their book. For example, with Colin Jackson being a hurdler I latched onto it and finished it in a day or so just because there was something interesting that I could relate to.
Who is your athletics hero?
There’s not one person that really inspires me, there’s different things that I like about certain people. The easiest example again is Colin Jackson, because from training with his former coach I now know a lot more about the work he put in to achieve what he did. When you start to comprehend that it’s really quite admirable.
What’s your aim for 2011?
Ideally I’d like to win the European Junior Championships and that would be a big achievement for me. I’d definitely like to go there and I certainly think I’d be capable of leaving with a medal. I don’t think it’s too unrealistic to go there trying to win. Then I’ve got a couple of secondary ones – to qualify and compete at the World Student Games in China because I think that would be a great experience.
Are you thinking about the Olympics next year?
I’ve got half an eye on it! At the moment it’s very competitive, with everyone striving for that. I’d definitely love to go and I am working towards that. At the moment I’m working more in the short term and putting certain things together that will hopefully lead me to that, but I’m still relatively young.