The Female Competitors
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The female competitors Sam Backwell (18) – heptathlete Lives with her mother Tina, father Tom and brother Timothy. Has GCSEs in PE, Geography, Music, Maths, English, Food Sciences and English Lit. She is currently coaching athletics part time. If she is not a successful athlete she would like to coach sports. She enjoys socialising with friends and boyfriend, especially dancing and karaoke. She likes going to the beach and spending time with her grandparents on the farm, as well as training and improving her performances. Favourite movies/TV: Funny films; Graham Norton on TV Music: Anything from R&B, drum ‘n’ bass to Michael Jackson and Elton John Favourite food: Mashed potatoes and baked beans Personality: I get annoyed when people make fun and take advantage of others. If I feel angry I go to the gym and let off steam. Have a phobia of spiders and single wish would be for everyone to be happy Favourite celebrity pin up: Johnny Wilkinson What are you afraid of: Someone telling me I’m not good at something I really enjoy eg athletics.Wouldn’t know what to say What are you good at: Organising myself, making friends, motiviating others What are you bad at? Maths, ironing and taking photos Three things you’d take to a desert island: Teddy; jar of Vaseline; motorbike If you could be anyone else for a day you’d be... A pilot flying a fast jet Greatest sporting disappointment: Not being able to do high jump very well Greatest non-sporting achievement: Not getting a C grade in my maths re-take What makes you stand out from a crowd? On her sport: My smile and determination. I’ve had disappointments I prefer doing more than one thing, it makes it growing up but each time I’ve started again and kept more interesting for me. I dropped out of trying. I loved ballet and gym but I got injured in a car basketball – it was getting too serious and I just accident and couldn’t perform to the same standard. wanted to do it for fun. Sometimes it can be too When I was in a wheelchair I took up the flute and serious for what people want.The athletics has just guitar.When I recovered I started running and playing progressively got more serious – so I haven’t had basketball. I am very determined and want to succeed. to be serious from the start, just gradually and it’s much better like that. It’s important to have fun as On Born To Win: well. I concentrate more on my sport but I’ve still My aim is to stay all the way and try out all of the done really well at college, I don’t know how! events because they’re all really good. I’m going to try my best at everything, obviously, and if my best means not winning then I’m not going to worry. This is going to be such a big thing I think we’re all going to get something good out of it. Born To Win 14 The female competitors Charlotte Best (18) – 400m/800m runner Lives with mother Mandy, father Mark, sister Leanne, brother Alex, and dog Buster, a Staffordshire bull terrier. Has just finished studying for her A levels. She works part time at Crawley Leisure Centre on the junior athletics staff. In the future she would like to get her degree in sports science with business management and make a career out of it. She enjoys shopping, bowling, ice skating and amusement parks. Likes going to the cinema and pubs with friends. Favourite movies/TV: Enjoy any movie except horror; I like EastEnders. Music: R&B, garage and hip hop Favourite food: Chinese Three words that best describe you: Ambitious, sociable and honest What are you afraid of? Spiders What are you bad at? Getting up early in the morning Three things you’d take to a desert island: A picture of family and friends; a boat; radio and CD player with CDs If you could be anyone else for a day you’d be... Jennifer Lopez Greatest sporting achievement: Winning the U17 sports person of the year twice at my local running club – Crawley AC Greatest sporting disappointment: Getting disqualified in a race, broke before the line in the 800m If you were in a film: I would be in an action/romantic film where I had to solve a mission On Born To Win: On her sport: I’ve been training hard and I’m at my best so I started very young, when I was in year six at whatever comes I’ll be happy with.At the moment school, a cross-country run.Then when I was in everyone’s really relaxing and trying to get on with secondary school I did another one and this girl everyone else, but when people actually do compete beat me so my dad thought he’d put me in a club. they’ll be more focused, and more nervous and That’s where it started and it went on from there… stressed. I think it will rapidly change in one day. At the moment on track 800m is supposed to be my main event but I’ve been moving around. Last I found Loughborough very hard, some of it. I got year I did 1500m more, and this year I did 800m very nervous – you walked in and everybody was and 400m. But while I’m in cross country I’m quite looking at you; there were lights shining right down competitive through the winter season as well, so I on you and you could cut the atmosphere with a actually range quite well. knife. But I did all right, I was really happy with myself that I got through it. I did really well on the I think the girls’ competition is very high – much 5km run, that’s what I was waiting for – I thought if higher every year, it’s really hard.The times are I could get through all the beginning bit with an dropping drastically while the boys are more steady average or a bit above average, then I could blast it I think – but the girls are really competitive. on the final 5km run and I won it in the end. Born To Win 15 The female competitors Louise Bloor (17) – long jumper Lives at home in Rotherham with her mother Sharon and father Michael. She is currently studying for her A Levels but has had a part time job as an assistant sports coach working with children aged 8-11. In the future she would like to be a physiotherapist. She enjoys shopping, going out with friends, cinema, bowling and watersports in the summer. In the evening she enjoys going to bars and nightclubs. She likes going to town and shopping. Favourite movies/TV: Comedies/Graham Norton Music: Pop and dance. Favourite song is Dirty by Christina Aguilera Favourite food: Sausage sandwich What would you change about yourself? I would like to have more patience What irritates you? Waiting for buses Three words that best describe you: Perfectionist, determined and caring What are you afraid of?/Phobias Being alone in the house in the dark/Spiders What are you good at? Long jump and short sprint What are you bad at? Sewing Three things you’d take to a desert island: Motorboat to get off it; Suntan lotion; my friend Laura Greatest sporting achievement: Winning the English schools Long Jump title Greatest non-sporting achievement: Passing my driving test first time On Born To Win: On her sport: It’s really exciting. I’m feeling really confident for all The higher the competition the more motivated I the sprints and the agility events, but the endurance am. I thrive on the audience and everyone being ones I’ll just be focusing on what I’ve got to do to there – it keeps me going. stay in it because I know I can’t win those events. But I’m looking forward to them all. You can all be at the same level but if you’re not focused, if you’re not determined enough you can’t At the regional trials I didn’t really know what to concentrate on something and that can get to you expect because they said, you’ve got so many eventually.You’ll have a mental block and things will points out of 100 and then you just went and didn’t go wrong. But I’m quite confident of my own hear anything more from it for a couple of months. mental strength. Then they said you’ve got through to the trials in Loughborough and it got really exciting.To get My mum and dad have always supported me through the that stage was amazing, it was a really through it and would always take me to everything; good experience. I really enjoyed it; it was probably when you get to a certain level your parents have one of the best weekends I’ve had in a long time. It got to be as dedicated as the child to get you was really relaxed and I loved every minute of it. through it. Born To Win 16 The female competitors Catriona Christie (18) – high jumper Lives with mother Caroline, father Christopher and brother Andrew. She has just completed her A-Levels and works part-time as a banquet waitress at a hotel. If she’s not successful in sport she would like to go to drama school and become an actress.