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Raise Your Game: What is your sporting background?

Caryl Glanville: I did gymnastics from the age of three and I started athletics when I was around 13. I decided to take athletics more seriously and stopped doing gymnastics when I was around 14 or 15.

RYG: How do you manage your time between your career in athletics and studying towards a biomedical science degree?

CG: It's pretty difficult, but if you get an assignment you do it as soon as possible instead of having to rush around. You have to get on with it, but it's quite hard and good time management is important.

RYG: How often do you train?

CG: I train six days a week. I have Sundays off and on Wednesdays I usually do a double session. I'll do either endurance or speed work on Mondays depending on what events I've got coming up. I'm in the gym every Tuesday and Thursday, but during the summer I tend to do the shot putt and javelin. Wednesdays are more hurdles based and I do an extra high jump or long jump session in the night. I concentrate on speed and running on Fridays and Saturdays are a mixture of high jump, long jump and running.

RYG: Are there any similarities between preparing for an athletics event and preparing for an exam?

CG: Yes there are quite a lot. You have to mentally go through what you're going to do in a competition the same way you do in an exam. You need a lot of positive thinking because you can't go into an exam thinking "I've already failed." If you're stepping up to jump in a high jump competition you have to think you're going to clear it. Try and think about the positives.

RYG: How do you find the mental strength to stay motivated through the difficult times?

CG: I had stress fractures in my foot at the beginning of April 2008 and was out for about eight months. It was really hard, especially when everyone else was running really fast times. I don't know how I got through it but I'm a very determined person and I wanted to get back as soon as I could to show the other athletes that I was still around. It made me realise how much I want to be involved in athletics so now I know this is what I want to do.

RYG: How important is it to enjoy your sport?

CG: If I'm not going to enjoy it there's no point in doing it. There are so many nice people who want to help you and the other athletes cheer each other on as well. I'm pretty competitive so I don't think I would ever quit but it does make it easier to go to the track if you're enjoying it.

RYG: What advice would you give to young people looking to get into athletics?

CG: I'd tell people to get involved in combined events! It doesn't matter if you're not quite so good at one event because there are so many other events to be good at. All the best athletes start out as multi-event athletes and specialise when they're a bit older.