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"Sport has made me a much more confident person," says the 400m runner.
Raise Your Game: How do you stay positive when things aren't going well?
Nicola Sanders: I've had lots of injuries recently. You've got to be confident and enjoy it. When I'm injured I can't wait to start racing again. As soon as you have a good performance you've got to build on that.
RYG: What has sport given you?
Profile
Name:
Nicola Sanders
Born:
23 June 1983
From:
High Wycombe
Event:
400m
Achievements:
- Bronze - 4x400m - European Championships, Barcelona (2010)
- Sixth - 400m - IAAF Golden League, Weltklasse Zurich (2009)
- Fourth - 4x400m - IAAF World Championships, Berlin (2009)
- Silver - World Championships, Osaka (2007)
- Gold - European Indoor Athletics Indoor Championships (2007)
- Second - SPAR European Cup Super League (2006)
NS: Sport has given me a lot. I did a campaign recently trying to encourage young women into sport of any kind. It doesn't matter if it's not competitive sport, just exercise will do.
Sport has made me a much more confident person. It gives you a better body image, it makes you more motivated and it's a really healthy thing to be involved with. Even if you don't participate at a high level, it can really help young women.
RYG: Is it important to participate in sport regardless of your ability?
NS: We all came into this sport because we loved it. We didn't come in thinking that we could make a living out of it. I'd be doing athletics even if I wasn't out here running today.
You've got to find something that you love and are passionate about, otherwise you're not going to carry on with it. It's really important to find a sport or exercise that suits you.
RYG: Does sport help you in other areas of your life?
NS: Definitely. It gives you a lot of discipline. You have to stick to a routine and dig in when the going gets tough. That can be applied to so many areas of life. To have that level of motivation, and the ability to stick with things when it gets tough, has really helped me in my studies.
RYG: How does it feel to win a race?
NS: It's really satisfying to accomplish what you set out to. It's even better when you come out the other side healthy and confident. That's what's most important.
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