Event: 200 metres
DOB: 11/06/91
Age: 19
You were at last year’s IAAF World Junior Championships – was that a highlight of 2010?
Yes, definitely. My main aim was to get to the finals. I think my PB was eighth or ninth in the list of competitors and I in fact came sixth so I did better than I expected to. The experience was definitely a highlight.
What did you learn from it?
You learn to try and stay focused and warm up and not get distracted by what all the other athletes from the other countries are doing because there’s nothing you can do to change what they’re doing. I went to the European Championships the year before – that was my first international – I learned from that and took that experience to the World Juniors and it helped me a lot. In the European Championships I didn’t have as much confidence; I thought I had to just sprint flat-out in the heat and I did my fastest time in the heat, so I learned from that. In the World Juniors I knew I had to get faster and have my fastest time in the final – which in the end, unfortunately, I didn’t do.
What are your aims for this year?
Hopefully to medal at the European under 23s – that’s the main aim – and then possibly to get selected for the World Student Games if they’re taking a team this year.
You’re studying at Loughborough University, aren’t you?
Yes, I’m studying sport and exercise science.
Are you thinking about your future after athletics?
Yes, I’m not too sure what exactly I want to do jobwise, but I might go into physio or teaching or working for a company – something along those lines.
When you think of other athletes, who is your hero?
I would say someone like Allyson Felix because she’s obviously very, very talented in her 200m and she is now also moving up to the 400m, which is what I’ll probably be doing in the next few years.
Will you leave the 200m behind then?
Possibly, although not straight away – I’m still going to do it for a few years yet, but in the future, definitely I’ll move to the 400m. I’ve had a long chat with my coach and he thinks that I could do well at the 400m. We’re just going to see what happens and break into it slowly and play it by ear.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
If I’m not training I’m working but I like to relax and chill out and see my friends or go shopping or the cinema – I’m just a normal teenage girl, really. I haven’t been to the cinema in ages actually but I’m going this week with some of the training group. I also listen to music – I like all sorts, whatever’s playing on Radio 1.
Do you have any pre-race rituals or superstitions?
Not really, no. I always have a routine but it’s not really a superstition – I don’t always have to clean my spikes the night before or anything like that. I used to play tennis and I used to be quite superstitious then. I played at Wimbledon when I was 14 but I just didn’t enjoy the tennis atmosphere and the tennis life so I moved to athletics.
How often do you train?
Six days a week – so I have Sundays off. I train for a couple of hours each session.
How do you juggle the work you have to do for your course and training?
Luckily I’m quite an organised person, so I have a routine. I’ll train in the morning and then set aside several hours in the afternoon to do my work. Then I have the evening to relax and watch TV and do whatever I want really. I’m quite a worrier as well so I know that if I haven’t done the work, I worry about it, so I like to get it out of the way.
What’s your ultimate ambition?
Obviously the Olympics – I’d love to go to the Olympics – maybe 2012, we’ll see how it goes this year, but if not, Rio would be the main goal.