No One Prepares You For Winning!

No One Prepares You For Winning!

Matrix Ambassador and Olympic Gold Medalist, Sally Gunnell

“It might have been over for the public in a matter of weeks, but Rio 2016 and the success of Team GB will last a lifetime for our athletes. That level of success will stay with Olympians past, present and future for the rest of their lives. It won’t ever go away!

It might sound cliché, but winning Gold in 1992 really did change my life. Looking back on it all, it was my first big event away from home and it felt both scary and exciting.

I can remember the buzz of the Olympic village, the magnitude of what I was about to do, thinking wow, this is what it’s really all about. It’s everything you’ve been told about and dreamt of, and finally it’s about to happen.

So much preparation goes into the Olympics and it’s not just about the physical training. Mental preparation, correct diet and nutrition, sufficient rest and recovery and of course sleep all play pivotal roles. But what no one really prepares you for is winning!

Athletics becomes your life. Yes, you become a selfish person and it’s difficult to balance all of that with family life. It’s intense and you live it wholly and completely. So imagine the feeling when you actually do it and win?

You put yourself under so much pressure, it’s rarely about other people. It’s always about the pressure that you apply onto yourself. You’re trying to be the absolute best that you can be, achieving what you know you’re capable of. You focus on that and take responsibility, you try to shut out that inner voice.

After all of that pressure, it’s no wonder that you feel overwhelming disbelief when you do win. After the initial euphoria has died down, you just can’t believe that it’s happened. No one prepares you for that feeling, it’s so hard to describe. That’s something that no amount of training can prepare you for and it’s rarely discussed. How do you handle finally achieving your dream yet it doesn’t feel real?

Yes it’s the most amazing feeling ever but it does change your life. It never goes away and you carry the responsibility of being an Olympic Champion for the rest of your life.

Of course, much of this is very positive. I have had a wonderful career since the Olympics, including my position as a Matrix Fitness Ambassador. Part of my duties is to be a good role model for the industry, representing sport, health and fitness at a wide range of events.

I respect the responsibility that comes with winning a Gold Medal and hope to make the most of the opportunities that it creates for me in the future.

For more info on the Matrix Ambassador programme, please contact:

Matrix Fitness Press Office
Phone: 01782 654482
Email:  marketing@matrixfitness.co.uk
Web:    www.matrixfitness.co.uk