Event: 400m hurdles
DOB: 15/11/89
Age: 21
You went to the Commonwealth Games last year – how was that?
It was such a great experience for me. It was nice to see a major championship. I’d been to the junior ones but it was great to see the differences between the two and the multi-sport aspect of it because I’m not used to seeing other sports.
You won a silver medal in the relay – how did it feel?
It was just amazing, especially with the Indian team competing. You think, ‘Oh, wow, I’ve got a silver medal at 20 at the Commonwealth Games!’ But I try not to think too much about that. I always think, ‘Right, that’s what I’ve done and this is now.’ I’m always thinking about the next thing. Now I want to focus on this year. I’ve got the European under 23s, I’ve got the possibility of making the World Student Games – there are a few different competitions. I’m just focusing on what I want to do next rather than thinking about what I did.
How did your family react?
They were really excited, they said, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe you got a medal!’ And all my school friends were really excited too. It’s quite easy when I’ve got Martyn Rooney in my training group who’s won European medals and a World medal to think that it’s [winning medals] what everybody does but when you speak to people who aren’t in athletics they’re really amazed by it all. I visited a local school and they got me lots of thank-you cards for coming to visit them and they’d done a project on me – it was quite funny, I felt like a superstar!
Did it take you a while to come back down to earth after winning the medal?
No, I just got back into it, I came back from India and I had lectures the next day.
What differences did you see between the senior and the junior championships?
The main difference is that at the seniors they are more focused on their event. The junior championships are more fun, whereas at the senior championships everyone is, ‘This is what I’m here to do,’ – they know what they want.
Has that rubbed off on you?
Yes, I think so. And I also had to look after myself more, whereas at junior championships they look after you and say, ‘Go here, do this’. It’s quite a shock but it’s good.
What else do you want to achieve?
I really do need to improve my 400m hurdle PB, so that’s my main goal. And I’m trying to stay uninjured – last year I was constantly getting injured. I felt that the season never really got started after the second injury because it’s difficult to keep yourself fit and to keep yourself going for that amount of time when you’re not really doing the training that you need to do. It went reasonably well – I can’t complain about how I did at the Commonwealth Games but I think had I not been injured I would possibly have run a bit better. I’d quite like an injury-free season – I’d definitely be happy with that and it’s good to be back into training now.
Do you hope to go to the World Championships in Daegu, Korea?
Because I’m under 23 my main aim is going to be the European under-23 Championships in July, but two weeks later it’s the senior trials so I think it depends how I’m running and how the season’s gone. Then I can either focus on maybe the World Student Games or going to Daegu.
And obviously the Olympics is getting even nearer...?
Yes, that’s why Daegu would be an even bigger achievement because it’s a World Championships and the next one is the Olympics. I’m trying to take it one step at a time but it is next year now...
Have you allowed yourself the fantasy of competing in London 2012?
Well, it’s the only opportunity I’m going to get to compete at the Olympics in this country and it would be a great achievement – we’ll see how it goes!
So you’re just focused on getting to the next race?
If you think about too many things I find you don’t put as much effort into the next race so I try to do one thing really well and then move on from it.
How does it feel to be a SPAR star for another year?
It’s great working with SPAR because it’s an international company and it’s nice to be associated with a company that’s so well known – and not just in Britain; you go abroad and everyone knows it.
How is your course going?
It’s going all right. I try not to think about it too much and just get the work done. It’s my third year but I’ve split my year so I’ve got another year after this. Because I do a Masters degree it’s quite a lot of hours – 18 hours a week and it never really fits in around my training. It’ll be nice to do 9 hours.
Are you feeling more like a serious athlete now that you’ve been to the Commonwealth Games?
Maybe. My training this year has improved and I think that I can put more into my sessions. I feel more confident in myself whereas before I sometimes had doubts about my ability. I think it’s important to always be positive.
Read another interview with Meghan.