Kelly Sotherton, Britian’s leading Heptathlete and Olympic Bronze medallist is a strong contender for a gold medal in Beijing, Sportsister caught up with her while she was busy promoting the Nike ‘Here I am’ Campaign.
Tell us when you got started in athletics.
I started athletics when I was nine, but I enjoyed many sports and was involved in all the school teams, hockey, football etc. In athletics I have always enjoyed the multi-discipline events and started training seriously as a teenager, however it was not until I was 26 that I was able to concentrate full-time on my athletics.
What do you love most about athletics?
I really love the opportunities to travel and to meet and make friends from all over the world, its an amazing job and a dream to be living this life - it really is a privilege.
Is there a good spirit amongst all the other girls competing?
Yes, it’s great, there is a lot of camaraderie because we spend the two days together and also because we are not really competing against each other, we are competing against our times and ourselves. Also everyone respects each other, we all know how tough it is to be competing at this level.
How do you cope with the pressure of major competitions?
I don’t really worry about it at all, if I start worrying it’s pointless. It doesn’t achieve anything and it’s a waste of energy. I know that I have done the work and all I can do is my best.
Do you have any little good-luck rituals or mascots?
Again no, not really, I like things to be right and I like to have my routine but it’s silly to get too caught up in superstitions. I used to worry about all this kind of thing more, but now I am more relaxed. Anyway it’s silly to have a mascot in case you lose it!
Are you worried about the conditions in Beijing?
No not at all. Again it’s not worth getting stressed about it as it is not going to change, we just have to deal with it. We are going out to China two weeks in advance so we should be very well acclimatized. In fact the area of China where we are going is hotter and more humid, so hopefully Beijing will feel better to us.
Do you have any specific diet and what do you eat on competition days?
No special diet, I just make sure I am eating and drinking enough. It’s really important to recover properly, I have to make sure I have eaten well after the first day, so that I am fully prepared for the next day. I do drink recovery drinks, but other than that I just follow a sensible and balanced diet.
I heard a rumour that you were interested in having a go at track cycling, is that true?
Yes, I would love to have a go, I’ve never done it, the banked sides of the velodrome look very scary, but having seen Rebecca Romero have such success I feel inspired - I am not saying that I would get to that level, but it does appeal to me.
Does the women’s cycling success help to motivate you?
Yes it’s great to see how well they have done and the depth of talent and success. It does motivate me because it shows that British girls can do it. They have a great set-up too which means that girls taking up the sport stand a good chance of doing well and getting all the support they need.
As a woman involved in sport, what would you say are the most positive aspects?
The confidence it gives and not only feeling fit but the benefits of a healthy lifestyle generally.
Tell us about your involvement with the Nike ‘Here I Am’ Survey.
It’s a great idea, basically we are really trying to inspire women to get involved in sport by showing them that sportswomen can be sexy and that being involved in sport has huge benefits. Just by taking up a sport for enjoyment you can improve your life by feeling better in yourself, improving your social life and gaining confidence.
Alarmingly in the UK the research found that a lot of girls feared losing their femininity through sport - how do you respond to that?
Well I think it’s sad because loads of the girls are very feminine, it’s just a problem with the image, not the reality.
So have you ever had a negative reaction to being a woman involved in sport?
No not at all, the only negative thing about it is the inequality, as an example male footballers getting paid a fortune whilst women’s football gets very little coverage.
Are there any sports women that you particularly admire?
No, no one in particular. Well, I guess I respect any woman that is involved in sport at a high level as I know how hard it can be, and I especially admire girls who are training for minority sports that get very little coverage, they are just doing it because they love it.
Danielle Sellwood, Sportsister
The Sport’s Magazine for Women
