THE BACKPAGE PODCAST: CHRISTINE OHURUOGU

In episode 9 of The BackPage Podcast, Andrew Nixon and Jonny Madill are joined by former world and Olympic 400m champion and one of Britain's greatest and most decorated athletes, Christine Ohuruogu MBE.

In part 1 of this special two-part episode, Christine looks back at how she first got into athletics and her memories of growing up in Newham, the backdrop of the London 2012 Olympics. She talks about the highs and lows of her career journey on the track including what it was like to become the first ever British woman to win 400m Olympic gold in Beijing 2008, as well as her silver medal at London 2012 and her double world championship gold. She also talks openly and honestly about the setbacks during her career, including the intrusive media attention after she was suspended for missing three out-of-competition tests in 2006, a ban that was later overturned.

In part 2, Christine chats about the challenges facing both track and field and traditional sports more generally, especially making sport more attractive to a younger audience and increasing participation levels. She discusses the mental challenges facing athletes in the lead up to the rescheduled Tokyo Games, and also tells of how a conversation with a barrister some years ago led her to embark on a new career in the law, which culminated in her graduating from Queen Mary University with a law degree in July 2019.

As well as being a true champion, Christine is open, honest and inspirational in how she talks about the sport she loves and the lessons she learned.