Meeting the marathon champ

Paralympian Richard Whitehead has teamed up with Powerade in the run up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, along with heptathlete Jessica Ennis. We caught up with him to find out more about his career highs and advice for aspiring athletes.

Q: You started running marathons in 2004 – had you been involved in any sports before that?
Richard: Yes, I did gymnastics, swimming, sitting volleyball and sledge hockey.

Q: What or whom inspired you to start running marathons?
Richard: Terry Fox, a Canadian athlete, who contracted cancer and had to have one leg amputated. Following the amputation he set himself the challenge of running from East to West of Canada to raise money for cancer research. Whilst attempting the challenge he contracted a secondary cancer and died in 1981.To this day the Terry Fox Foundation still generates vast sums for cancer research.

Q: What has been the greatest moment in your career so far?
Richard: Finishing first marathon in New York in 2004 in 5 hours 19 minutes, also winning the 200m at the recent World Championships in New Zealand.

Q: How important has the role of family and friends been in your success?
Richard: A stable family environment has helped keep me grounded during the highs of my sport and picked me up during the lows.

Q: How do you overcome set-backs to ensure you don’t lose your focus?
Richard: I evaluate every performance, whether it’s good or bad, and make appropriate modifications to my training programme to ensure I continue to develop as an athlete. My support team help me keep focused during the hard times.

Q: What are your top health tips for budding athletes?
Richard: Maintain a healthy balanced lifestyle, including sport, downtime, family and a healthy balanced diet, including hydration to aid performance in training and competition.

Q: What are your hopes for achievement at the London 2012 Paralympic Games?
Richard: To represent Paralympics GB to the best of my ability and hopefully bring back some medals.

Q: Any words of motivation for other young athletes looking to emulate your success?
Richard: Preparation is the key to success. Make sure no stone is left unturned during your preparation – then, when you’re at the start line, you’ll have every chance to succeed.