By Paola Bassanese
Q: You have two careers: professional athlete and sports therapist. When did you decide you wanted to become involved in sport?
A: I first decided when I was 16 that I wanted to take up Athletics professionally. I had to choose between two possible careers: football and athletics. At the time it was a difficult decision but I chose the sport I thought I would excel in most.
Q: Tell us more about your experience touring the UK with a theatre company
A: I have been touring with Starlight Express since May and it has been interesting to say the least. Some days are extremely busy, with a range of injuries from the cast and other days are so quiet I can spend time do other things. The touring schedule fits well with my training schedule as I start earliest at 12pm, which as allows me to train in the morning. It is a very demanding show, and therefore it is necessary for me to be touring with the cast.Q: With Rio 2016 approaching, what would you like to achieve as an athlete?
Rio seems far away but yet it isn’t. I have a 2-3 years plan to hopefully be at the top of my game by competing internationally. If I can continue to train hard and efficiently staying injury free, then my goals should be possible to achieve. I want to be able to be a finalist for those games, nothing is too unrealistic, so it is just down to me to put the work in.
Q: How important is massage in your life?
A: Massage is important for me both financially and physically. I understand the need for it the be physically capable to do the things that I do. It is difficult to just train and have no medical assistance, so realistically treatment once every 2 weeks in essential.Q: What’s your favourite sports discipline?
A: My favourite disciple to compete in is hurdles but my favourite to watch is 100m. Outside of athletics I enjoy watching NFL and occasionally some football.
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