Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Olympic gold medalist in the heptathlon at Sydney 2000.
On the island
Eight records
Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson
this track in particular reminds me of my childhood, sort of seven-stroke, eight-year-old, at my godmother's house with my aunt, with my mum, putting on my grandmother's wigs and running around in makeup and belting this song out at the top of my voice.
Again, my family history is from the Caribbean. My mum came over at ten and I've always had this great connection to the Caribbean.
Magne Furuholmen, Morten Harket & Pål Waaktaar
my little curveball, but one that reminds me of just that early teens phase when a band called Aha burst onto the scene. I fell in love with Morton Harkett, the lead singer, this iconic video.
This song for me just takes me back to the Olympics, the whole reason for my existence, for my being, for my direction in life. ... it just says everything about performance and endeavour.
My oldest daughter is called Lauren, spelt exactly like this next artist, Lauren Hill. The track is Zion, and it just reminds me of the moment that I gave birth to my daughter.
BeatGeek, Jimmy Joker, Teddy Sky & RedOne
it just highlights the joys of motherhood for me. I have three beautiful children and my middle one thinks he is the fifth member of JLS. He loves this band, he loves the boys
Ready for LoveFavourite
Beautiful, beautiful vocals and this track in particular was the one that I walked down the aisle to marry my wonderful husband Stephen.
Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, Manuel Seal & Johntá Austin
It reminds me of my girlfriends. Although I'm an only child, I have fantastic girlfriends. Mariah Carey is a guilty pleasure that we love to dance to
In conversation
Presenter asks
4:58Why on earth would you pick [the heptathlon], something that ranges across so many disciplines that are in themselves so very tough?
I think it boils down to the fact that I competed for my club, Wolverhampton and Bilston, during my teens and I was always filling in for people that would drop out last minute. So I was a good club athlete, loved it and haven't looked back.
Presenter asks
5:21You once said after you won your Olympic gold, it felt as if life had somehow speeded up... but at the same time, you were feeling lost and slightly confused. Tell me about that.
Well, you spend so many years working towards one particular goal, to become Olympic champion. And when you achieve that, there is this sort of emptiness, this void. You just don't know what to do with yourself. And having experienced such elation, that feeling of standing on the podium, hearing the national anthem, witnessing people being reduced to tears by the effort and the performance. And then there was just this What do I do now? ... Moment.
Presenter asks
7:38Tell me what your mum was like, your earliest memories of her.
The keepsakes
The luxury
I love those girls of Sex in the City. I will have lots of hours of laughter and joy.
Always working. ... She was a very much a a working mother. She had me quite young, much to the disappointment of of my grandmother. Really very young. She was seventeen. ... my mum had to do pretty much on her own because she didn't have that parental support. ... She's tough, she's resilient and she's fiercely independent.
Presenter asks
23:08Why did you want to go on with your career [after winning Olympic gold]?
Because I was an athlete. It's something that you are and I felt that there was still more to give. You know, I used to have on the top of my training schedule that I have two Olympic gold medals in me and I'm going to do all that I can to get them.
Presenter asks
31:15What about not having a father in your life at all? What has that meant to you?
I think I have missed out on things because men do bring a different perspective on things in the household. But as a kid I didn't know any differently, so you just go with what you've got and accept what you've got. And I think, if anything, I would just have liked someone to be able to give my mum a little bit more support and that she didn't have to quite work as hard as she did.
“you spend so many years working towards one particular goal, to become Olympic champion. And when you achieve that, there is this sort of emptiness, this void. You just don't know what to do with yourself.”
“I made a decision. I have to give it all I have. I could not just quit at that point. I had to give it my best shot.”
“I was an athlete. It's something that you are and I felt that there was still more to give.”
“I think with hindsight, training with Eckhart, coming back from, you know, having a baby, which is. Is traumatic in its own right. To then give myself another dose of stress and trauma was is possibly quite foolish, but this is what uh the stubborn gene does to you.”