Many students entered some great questionnaires with questions that were interesting and insightful. The best were chosen and put to our selection of sports stars...
Congratulations to Luc Trafford and Kieran Peckett who's questions were selected for GB fencer and Olympic hopeful,
Claire Bennett.
1) What made you interested in fencing?
Fencing appealed to me because it looked different and interesting. I liked the idea of a combat sport. At the time, I remember wanting to fight with a sword like Zorro or one of the Three Musketeers! I also had a wonderful first coach who had me hooked within minutes. My first coach was the one who lit that spark of passion for fencing in me all those years ago when I was at school and just ten years old.
2) How did you start you career in journalism?
It actually started when I was on my year abroad from my languages course at Durham University. I did a work experience placement with Reuters in Paris. I worked on the sports desk and loved the buzz in the office. I then went on to ask for some more work experience at the Evening Standard and then at the Daily Telegraph. I didn’t have any qualifications in journalism but I got some invaluable hands-on experience with top press agencies instead. I was bold and just asked them straight out. Fortunately it paid off.
3) What advice would you give to someone who wanted to take up a sport as a career?
If you want to take up a sport as a career and become a professional athlete you need to be disciplined, determined, committed and focused. You need to be a self-starter. It’s about overcoming challenges and constantly striving to be the best. It’s about challenging yourself to do something really difficult, that requires a lot of skill, both physically and mentally. To me, that is the ultimate meaning of doing sport – challenging yourself and overcoming the tests along the way. Nothing beats that feeling of achieving your goals. A career in sport can be exhilarating and rewarding but you have to be prepared to put the work in. Be brave, train hard and stick at it!
4) Where is the best place you’ve been to through competing?
Tough question – it’s so hard to decide! I’ve been very fortunate in getting to travel all over the world through competing. I always love going to Cuba and also countries like China and Japan are great as I find their cultures fascinating. Australia was a fantastic place to visit and compete in. I had to travel 22 hours on a plane to get there but it was well worth the journey. If I was pushed into deciding my favourite place, I’d probably say Cuba.
5) Do you have a sporting role model and how have they inspired you?
I have lots of sporting role models who inspire me on a daily basis. Michael Jordan, Steve Redgrave, Lance Armstrong and Dame Kelly Holmes to name a few. I’ve always admired Jonny Wilkinson for his professionalism and work ethic. His dedication to his sport is inspiring. He is a true professional and a role model on and off the pitch. These athletes have class, integrity and work hard to achieve their goals and fulfil their potential. They inspire me to be a better-performing athlete and to never sit on my success.
6) What do you think your greatest achievement in fencing is?
I’d say coming back last year after a difficult season and winning the bronze medal in the individual and the gold medal in the team event of the Commonwealth Fencing Games. I was captain of the England team and I felt a great responsibility to lead by example and do my very best. I am convinced that this event was a turning point in my sporting career. But I hope my greatest achievement in fencing is yet to come!
7) How do you think you would feel if you made it to 2012?
I think I would be bursting with pride. For me, it would be the biggest and greatest honour to represent Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Fencing in front of a home crowd would be beyond special. It would mean so much to me. In fact, it would mean so much to not only me, but to my friends, my family and all of my support team who have helped me along the way. It is the greatest prize of all, and an honour.
Congratulations once again to Luc and Kieran for coming up with such great questions and a massive thank you to Claire Bennett for taking the time to answer them!!
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