Iwan Thomas Professional Athlete Interview

Introduction

The following is an interview with world class athlete Iwan Thomas MBE, who is a retired British 400m runner. Iwan secured medals at all of the major championships and still holds the British 400m record.

In 1998, Iwan won Gold medals in the 400m at the European Championships in Budapest, at the World Cup in South Africa and at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. Iwan was awarded an MBE in 1998.

Iwan now works in media and broadcasting and is a keen charity worker.

1. What has been the best piece of advice you have received?

The best piece of advice I have received throughout my career is to give 110% in everything you do and never give up. Having suffered several injuries throughout my career it was important to take this advice on board as when something you train so hard for is taken away, it can easily have a detrimental effect on you. I always kept focussed and gave it my all throughout my whole career and believe that was a key reason for the success I had.

2. How important was nutrition to your success and performance as an athlete?

In honesty, nutrition was never the most important factor for me. I always ate healthily but did not stick to any strict diet plans. What I found most important was the times of day I ate. I would always make sure I ate 1 hour before training. I also found it important to eat smaller amounts of food more often throughout the day, rather than just 3 big portions for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

3. Please could you outline what a normal day of training involved and what you did?

Every training day was different. We would always mix it up to make sure training did not become repetitive. Training sessions would also depend on the time of year. As a 400m runner, a lot of work was done on strength endurance as I had to maintain my speed consistently over a lap of the track.

4. What advice would you give to anybody wanting to get fit and improve their health?

The best piece of advice I could give to people is to take small steps when training and set themselves realistic targets. It will not happen overnight so it is important to set yourself realistic goals and not to expect too much too soon.

5. What has been the highlight of your career?

The highlight for me is the whole of the 1998 season. This was the year my career really took off and I managed to claim Gold at the Commonwealth Games, European Championships and World Cup in my individual discipline (400m). It was a huge year for me and it could not have gone any better.

I would like to say a big thank you to Iwan for taking the time and effort to answer these questions and sharing some of his experiences of competing at the highest level, it is much appreciated. In addition, I would also like to place on record my thanks to Charlie Read from Nuff Respect for making this interview possible. Please see their website, which is where the introduction has come from.

 I am sure this interview will provide a useful insight into the life of a professional sportsman and will help you to pick up some advice and tips that you can use to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. I have found it inspiring.

“Together, we’ll achieve your goals”

Matt Swierzynski

E: matt@mattswaz.co.uk

M: 07936654876

W: www.mattswaz.co.uk