62 1GM Tuesday July 20 2021 | the times the times | Tuesday July 20 2021 1GM 63 Sport Tokyo Olympics Sport ALAMY; JOHN BERRY/GETTY IMAGES; AP; BILLY STICKLAND/ALLSPORT/GETTY IMAGES; GILL ALLEN/AP part of the plan. It started out as a bit of fun after years of training and discipline. But as soon as you go Once Britain’s next through adversity, you’ve got this Olympians’ second attachment to this thing that makes you relax. When life started to go downhill, it became a coping mechanism. I didn’t tell everyone big thing, Williams what I was going through. It was a quiet battle. Growing up, we had gone to acts: what sporting Catholic church with my finally comes of age grandparents, but I was very anti- Christian. I used to tell my sister off for wasting her time. Rock bottom for attention and the feeling that I did not me was when I walked away from my GB sprinter has found a have a grip on my own narrative. I felt relationship and became a single contentment going into everyone around me was dictating mum. I was sitting in my parents’ what my story should be when I didn’t heroes did next bedroom and I thought, “What have I Tokyo that was beyond know what I wanted. Naomi says her got to show for my life?” That’s when identity is linked to being a success I called on God. her as a teenage star, and a lot of my self-worth was linked James Gheerbrant loose in a shop — all your life When I first walked into church I Rick Broadbent to winning races; if I didn’t win I’d get you’ve been told that you only have had so much regret, shame, guilt, self- writes lost. People assume sportspeople are discovers how athletes the right to concentrate on one thing, hatred. God took that weight from very confident and outgoing, but a lot and suddenly you get to look around, me. From that moment, I had to tell n the old days, when Jodie of the time we have different personas. carve out new lives try things out. You have to find a people, “This is the answer,” for Williams was still being hailed as “Being British you are expected to new passion. anyone who was going through the the next big thing, the narrative present yourself in a certain way, very after experiencing the I grew up in Martinique, a small pain that I was going through. was Money Makers v Chicken humble, not cocky. I agree we have a island in the Caribbean. My father I started my ministry and Legs. Her moniker was invented duty not to be outrageous, but it’s very thrill of the Games was a vet, and I took my first philanthropic organisation in 2015. Iby a school friend while the other damaging to pretend you are someone swimming strokes in the sea, so The goal is to help children and the nickname reflected the skinny else to appease other people. We ‘Cyclists suffer and fight; that connection with animals and most vulnerable people. I don’t belong physique of her American idol Allyson should be allowed to showcase what nature was always there. During my to any denomination. I’m on stages, I Felix. It did not quite work out like we truly think and believe.” the fire service is the same’ swimming career I got my veterinary talk in churches, I do public speaking. that, but the two women are back at The Olympic trials in 2012 were a qualifications, because I knew I I was going to start my own church, the Olympic Games and ready to turning point. She tore her hamstring Roy Knickman, a cyclist, competed for wanted to go in that direction. After but I’ve stepped back a bit. I’m doing speak out. and that put her in a depressive the USA at the 1984 Olympics in Los Rio I joined a turtle rehabilitation a degree in theology and law, building Williams, 27, was the first girl to tailspin. By then she already knew that Angeles, winning bronze in the team centre on the French mainland, my ministry slowly. achieve a world youth 100m and 200m you can be brilliant and racked by time-trial. Now 56, he recently retired near Montpellier. I was in the Amazon jungle on a double. She was also the world junior indiscriminate doubt. after 15 years as a firefighter in You get turtles that are visibly Christian mission. I thought, “How 100m champion and she went a Williams is only two years older California and runs Lux Cycling, a injured, which we’ve been alerted to are you going to help these people staggering 151 races before she lost at than Dina Asher-Smith, the woman junior team for young American riders. three blocks from my high school. by passing boats, or those that have out here, how do you get to them?” the age of 16 in 2010. She burst into now carrying the sprint hopes of After I retired from racing, at first I Houses that I knew were burning. We been accidentally caught in fishing I wrote “helicopter” in my journal, tears but the template for the future Britain, but beneath the radar she did what is typical for many cyclists: were driving by, trying to pick a house nets. The fishermen call us, saying, without any intention at the time. seemed set. Instead, injuries, seems to have found a level of I worked for USA Cycling as a coach. we could save. “We’ve got a turtle in our net, could I came back to Sydney and six depression and a feeling that she was contentment that was beyond her But the travel was hard on the family. It can be pretty traumatising, once you come and rescue it?” months later I decided to get my living someone else’s story consumed when the world was at her feet. So I made the decision to have a little you start stacking the layers of The days are spent feeding and helicopter licence. It was an intense her. The tattoos, inked after each major When she missed out on 2012, her more stability. At 38 years old, I exposure to tragedy and death. The caring for the turtles — anything course. I took seven months, I had mental battle, struggled for space. parents had already bought Olympic decided to become a firefighter. psychological impact can break you. from cleaning and stitching their to move away from my son, but I got Felix, 35, has nine Olympic medals. tickets expecting to watch her run. She I chose the fire service because it I left a little bit early, at least based on wounds, checking they’re healing my wings. One more and the Californian will join went to one session and could not face looked challenging, it would allow me my financial plan, because I’d had properly, to fetching fish or squid for The plan is, down the track, to buy Carl Lewis as the second most another. Five years ago in Rio she to use my physical ability, and it was enough. It was getting really difficult them to eat. The objective is to take helicopters for our organisation, to decorated track and field athlete in bowed out in the 200m semi-final, team-based: you have your engine to be doing CPR and have another care of them so that they can be use them to help vulnerable people in history after Paavo Nurmi, the “Flying while Asher-Smith finished fifth in the company and you rely on each other, person die under your hands: a released back into the ocean. remote areas. I could have played five Finn” from the Roaring Twenties. final. There was the solace of silver at just like in a cycling race. In fact, 35-year-old woman, or a child. It’s a wonderful feeling when you Olympics — I was 17 [in 2000] and More significantly for Williams, Felix the European Championships and I didn’t realise how similar the But it’s a good job. It’s a family. And let them go, a sense of “mission I was one of the best players. But has also taken on Nike over maternity Commonwealth Games in 2014, but camaraderie would be. It’s like going when you’re on the front line, it’s accomplished”. You’ve played a part perhaps the crushing I went through rights and testified to Congress about she had to wait until March this year to to war. In cycling, you suffer and fight pretty darn exciting. As a firefighter in the life of this iconic animal, which in my twenties was something I the alarming mortality rate of black land another senior medal when she and experience extreme conditions that’s what you live for. I remember is so affected by the activities of needed to suffer for the greater good. women in childbirth. So it is not only won bronze at the European Indoor together, and that creates a bond. It’s one fire at Santa Barbara. We were humankind. It’s hugely rewarding. about medals and it seems fitting that Championships in Poland. By then she the same in the fire service. going over a ridge, we got trapped, I noticed the problem of pollution ‘In a way I was happy the two women, who trained together was the team captain and running the The training is physically and and there were 50-foot flames coming when I did my diving badges in briefly in 2010, will now meet again in 400m. Last week in Gateshead, she mentally challenging. You’re in triple- up within 20 feet of the engine. Martinique and working with turtles to slide into anonymity’ the 400m. clocked a personal best over the layer fire gear with 30 kilos on your Instead of being scary, it was like, really brought it home, because “I have known Allyson from quite a distance and ran her fastest 200m for back, it’s 35 degrees Celsius, and “Man, this is exciting.” almost 100 per cent of the turtles you Main: Knickman competes in the team time-trial at the 1984 Olympics, in which he won bronze; clockwise from top right, Balmy, who represented France at Andrew Cooper, a rower, represented young age and it’s been great to hear seven years. “At 300 metres I was a you’re doing an hour-long drill inside Sometimes you start fighting see have ingested some plastic. Even three Games; Mokotupu at Sydney 2000; Cooper rows as part of the gold-medal winning “Oarsome Foursome” in 1992; and DeWitt with his silver medal in 1984 Australia at two Olympics, winning her finding her voice,” Williams says. second off where I am normally. I feel a building: breaking through walls fire at 11pm and fight through the if it hasn’t harmed them, you find it in gold in 1992. Now 56, since retiring “She has been an athlete who felt there’s a lot more in the tank.” with your axe, dragging 100-kilo night, and it’s 9am and you’re getting poo at the bottom of the tank, or it the 60-year-old is a Justice of the Court go, “Wait a minute, I don’t go to we don’t just do criminal cases, we from sport he has worked as a farmer, boxed in and always behaved in a She was disappointed to bow out dummies through obstacles. They try a break and you’re making coffee shows up in an autopsy. That gave me of Queen’s Bench, sitting in Calgary. school anymore.” also do everything from family law to a stonemason and a carpenter. certain way, but she is standing up of another 200m semi-final, at the to break you, to find your limit — on the side of the fire engine, the impetus to tackle this problem. After the Olympics I fought pro for When I went to law school, all my civil law to business law. In criminal After we won gold we had a couple for what she believes in. If she 2019 World Championships, especially for me, because I was an exhausted and satisfied, in this tight After two years at the centre I four years, then retired in 1988. My nightmares were coming true. But I trials, our role is to instruct the jury of years off before going back into wasn’t already my role model then prompting what she called “bad Olympian. They would joke that we family environment. It’s like cycling. spent six months looking after turtles brother and father had died in a plane had learnt in boxing that work ethic on the law and summarise the training. But I was skipping sessions, she is even more so now. I’m glad fallout”, but the pandemic helped would have “break Roy” days, where There are moments that are in Polynesia. Then I returned to the crash the previous year. I knew that is everything. As an athlete, you can’t evidence. But most of the time we’re and I realised that it didn’t work for she has become empowered.” her. “Taking time away from they would flog me until I could psychologically challenging. But the Mediterranean to work with sea boxing wasn’t something I could do leave any stone unturned. Boxing is judging things alone. It’s sometimes me any more. I’ve never been one This idea of being your sport led to a mental shift,” barely lift my arms. uncomfortable days allow you to animals, and with those experiences for ever, though some people seem to a rigorous physical endeavour, and difficult: you only see a snapshot of who enjoys the spotlight; in a way, I true self is why Williams is she says. “My junior In California all the cities are part have the glorious days. under my belt I decided to return to try. I’d been involved in some the mental part of becoming a lawyer people’s lives, but you’re the one who was happy to slide into anonymity. smiling again. Her sister, success was a lot less of the state’s mutual aid agreement, so Martinique to create my foundation, businesses with my father, in the is similarly difficult. You have to stick has to make the decision. I thought, “OK, I’d better be Hannah, is also on the GB enjoyable than most whenever there’s a big wildfire they ‘The connection with Coco An Dlo. gravel-crushing and road-paving things out. Being a judge has taught me some qualified in something.” My mindset team as a relay runner and people thought, but now put together groups of fire engines The foundation has a sporting industry, but I wanted to do After I qualified I spent important things: number one, there was that having a trade would give Williams says competing I’m not so serious. I’ve from the different regions — they call nature was always there’ objective and an environmental one. something on my own, my first year at a big are always two sides to a story, and me something to fall back on. together in Tokyo would taken time to explore them strike teams. We aim to teach as many children as that I could start from commercial firm. I ended you’ve got to be cognisant of both I did a mature-age apprenticeship be the thrill of a lifetime. myself off the track. Four years ago Coralie Balmy, a possible how to swim — because in the beginning. up on a civil trial that sides. In today’s society it seems in carpentry. It was never about Williams is also Holistically, I’m doing a lot there was a wildfire swimmer, represented Martinique it’s far from universal — During my boxing went on for months everybody has one version and can’t money, it was just about setting up my perfectly placed to better. Sport can be selfish in Santa Rosa, France at three and in so doing, to introduce them to career I had met a and it was kind of listen to the other side. As a judge, family. I was employed by a company, warn of the pitfalls of and I’m not an inherently where I used to Olympics, winning the sea and the animals that live in it, judge from the Court boring. At that point you can’t do that. My wife tells and I did trade school one week a professional sport. This selfish person. That was do training camps bronze in the 4x200m and kindle a desire to protect them. of Appeal in Alberta. I was asked by the top me that I listen much better than were held. We had 10,000 people at month for a few years. I absolutely week she has been watching becoming very draining. as a cyclist. We freestyle relay in It’s incredibly important to educate He had told me, criminal defence I used to. our games, Australian flags loved it — working with my hands, the Naomi Osaka Now I get my energy from went there to mop London. Now 34, she children at a young age, so that they “You’ve got to think lawyers in Alberta if everywhere. It felt like the whole dealing with clients. documentary and found raising others up. I’ve taken up after it blew is a marine biologist grow up with those values, and the about what you’re going I wanted to join them ‘Nothing could compare world was noticing us. You can’t I also worked as a stonemason, but herself relating to the issues the ego out of it and don’t get through. We were and ecologist with protection of the natural world to do afterwards” and as a junior. imagine the pride and honour I felt. that was more of a means to an end. the tennis star has faced. When bogged down in me, me, me.” on body recovery, her own foundation, becomes a habit. When I stopped suggested becoming a As a criminal barrister to the Olympic high’ Those were the glory days. It kept some dollars rolling in. That Osaka said she wanted to skip Instead, she runs free and going through Coco An Dlo. competing, I thought I’d do lawyer. At the time I wasn’t I did all kinds of cases, from A lot of athletes go through a was a different sort of trade. You get a press conferences at the French runs her own podcast, and neighbourhoods I ended my sporting something completely different, but interested. But when you’ve been a murder trials to possession of Christie Mokotupu represented comedown after the Olympics. Some truckload of rocks delivered, they tip Open a backlash followed, but while some big names attach looking for people career after the Rio I’m still connected to the water. boxer, people don’t think you have narcotics. When you’re cross- Australia in volleyball at the 2000 handle it well. I didn’t. Nothing could them off, and it’s like doing a giant one line in the documentary themselves to global charities, reported missing, Olympics. Life takes any brains. I knew if I got a law examining someone and doing well, Olympics in Sydney. She subsequently compare. Everything had to live up to jigsaw puzzle. At the moment I’m reverberated beyond the echo she has a hands-on role with who never got out of on a completely ‘Cross-examining someone degree, that would be helpful. it’s almost as good as dropping battled depression and drug addiction. that standard. When I was down, I doing a bit of contract farm work, chambers of Twitter warriors. Femlead, a small group teaching their houses. Burnt different rhythm. It was a huge culture shock. We someone with a left hook. Not quite, After a period as a missionary, the was constantly trying to find things driving tractors, just enjoying life. “When she said she was an Ugandan women about human and body remains, in a Suddenly you have is like landing a left hook’ didn’t really have higher education in but pretty close. Going into battle as 38-year-old is now a Christian minister that brought me back to that high. Sometimes clients recognise me. If introvert I thought, ‘That’s me,’ ” reproductive rights. “They deserve to town you’ve worked to relearn how to our family. I did fine in school, but I a defence lawyer is like stepping into and qualified helicopter pilot. At 20, I was burnt out. I wanted to they ask questions I’ll answer them, Williams says. “When I was young have a voice,” she says. Eleven years on in. Three weeks later organise your daily Willie deWit, a boxer, fought for wasn’t an academic by any stretch. the ring. That kind of thing suits my An Olympic Games is the ultimate go out, have a boyfriend, do all the but I’m not one for promoting myself. I struggled with the amount of from that 151-race winning streak, there was a fire in my routine and set your Canada at the 1984 Olympics, winning As a boxer, I used to have dreams that personality. goal of every athlete. Not many normal things. One year I was at a I’ve always lived by that: be humble in Williams and Felix, the nicknames home town, Ventura. own objectives. It’s the silver medal as a heavyweight. After I had a test to write and I hadn’t I’ve been a judge for four years people reach it at 17. I grew up in New Year’s Eve party and my friends victory, just cruise along, do what you Williams is in fine form and this year long gone, are still making marks, in We were assigned like being a kid let a career as a criminal defence lawyer, prepared. Then I would wake up and now. In the Court of Queen’s Bench, Sydney, right where the Olympics offered me a pill. Drugs were never need to do and don’t be a dickhead! won her first senior medal since 2014 and out of their lanes.