The Life of an Athlete in Europe

Travelling overseas as an athlete can be challenging and very rewarding. I remember my first year on the circuit, 2002. I lived with my coach, trained with my coach, travelled with my coach, ate with my coach… Gary is a great coach but I need balance in my life and I need to escape from athletics while I’m not training and competing. My first year overseas was a challenge. I didn’t know what to expect, I worried about travel and getting tired from travel, I worried about taking a walk in case my legs got tired, I didn’t do much at all in the first year. I wasn’t confident, I didn’t feel like I belonged at the meets and my performances reflected my beliefs.

The first lesson I had to learn was how to go from working full-time and training to just training and competing. I’m the sort of person who is always on the go. I didn’t have any structure to my days in 2002 and really all I seemed to do was walk to the tube station, catch a tube, then a train, walk to the track, train, walk back to the train, catch a train, catch a tube then walk home. Not the most glamorous European holiday. Over successive years, I have realised that it suits me best to be around other athletes; that regular short walks aren’t going to influence performance (particularly if they are around shops where you can make purchases) and to take plenty of mobile entertainment.

I would be lost without my laptop - my gateway to everything. Most hotels have wireless internet access so I can email or skype. The trusty laptop allows me to communicate, keep up to date on the web, watch DVDs, view pictures and videos (including training jumps), play the very occasional game and actually do some work. I have recently been directed to this most amusing footage of Carl Lewis singing! (click on “Break It Up”) Most athletes have their favourite piece of electronic equipment, whether it be a PSP, DVD player, laptop, video camera, mobile phone or even a hairdryer. I also take the opportunity to read. Admittedly, I never used to be a bookworm but I love reading while I’m overseas. Reading is very relaxing and it is great way to get your mind out of athletics too. I’ve read a few books already on this trip and I would have to say my favourite so far is Shantaram.

The travel can definitely be tiring, particularly if you focus on how tiring the travel is. If you just accept the travel as part of competing and know that everyone has to travel to meets it won’t influence you as much. Travelling between Australia and Europe is not easy the first time but it does get easier. I would much prefer to stay in Europe for the duration of the European season than lose the 4 days of training for each trip between Australia and Europe (due to actual travel time plus training needs to be modified due to fatigue). Some athletes would prefer to break up their trip, see their spouses and get a block of training in familiar surroundings.

Most athletes form a base in Europe and between meets, they head back to their base to train. Other athletes who have a busy competition schedule may travel from meet to meet. A number of athletes I have spoken to this trip apparently don’t even train while they are in Europe, just compete (recipe for rapidly decreasing performance if you ask me). For the majority of my trip so far, I feel as though I have just been going from meet to meet. The disadvantages of this, for me, is being in control of my meals relying on hotels and local restaurants; ensuring access to training facilities and organising transportation to and from training (generally in a foreign language); plus mundane but necessary activities like finding somewhere to do laundry.

My days are still centred around training and competing but now I have worked out what to do between sessions to avoid boredom whilst not interfering with my performance. I’m lucky that my sisters and my brother live in London so I can occasionally spend time with them too. Personally, I have matured as an athlete and believe that the adversity I have overcome has earnt me a place in competitions. It is often still harder to compete overseas without all the usual support at home (like a coach and even crowd favouritism) and I’m continuing to implement strategies to best cope with these challenges.

There are definitely times athletes become homesick. One day a couple of weeks ago in Germany, with noone I knew around, possessing limited language, without direct coaching support, unable to cook for myself (and I didn’t even have a fridge), I felt very alone. Those times pass though and you focus on all the fabulous opportunities. I miss my husband and my dog the most but I appreciate the opportunities athletics have provided me with and I love competing.

With 211 countries/territories in the IAAF, athletics is truly a global sport (192 countries form the United Nations). Athletics is one of the few sports that can take you around the world and expose you to so many different cultures. Track and Field is different in Europe compared with Australia. The stadiums are often sold out for Grand Prixs. In Stockholm, crazed athletic fans wait outside the meet hotel to get autographs from all the athletes. I remember in 2002 one of them asked for my autograph by name. I was astonished that someone knew who I was, even more so because I was in Sweden!

Athletics has so much to offer those who are willing and I love it.