Under the microscope

CAN YOU RUN UP THE STAIRS? YES. I don’t exercise every day, but I enjoy cycling and canoeing. EVER DIETED? NO. WHEN competing we used to have what we called a ‘seefood’ diet: every time we saw food we ate it. I am 6ft 4in and weigh 19st, probably 4lb or 5lb too much. I was 2st lighter when competing. ANY VICES? I’VE always had a sweet tooth. If it’s pudding or cheese, pudding wins every time. WORST ILLNESS/INJURY? I DEVELOPED ulcerative colitis in 1992 before the Barcelona Olympics. It’s very painful when it flares up but thanks to medication the bouts are in remission. In 1997 I discovered I had type 2 diabetes. It was a big shock: one day I was fine and the next I wanted to drink all the time. When we go to hot training camps we are given urine dip sticks to see if we’ve drunk enough. Other readings on the stick show sugar in the urine. I did a test and it came up very high. I phoned my wife, Ann, who trained as a surgeon, and she said that I should see my GP straight away. He sent me to a specialist; I was on insulin by the end of the day. POP ANY PILLS? NO, but I’m on an insulin pump now. I only have to give myself an injection once every three days when I change the insulin unit. ANY FAMILY AILMENTS? MY GRANDFATHER had diabetes in his late 60s; it’s not clear why. It can jump a generation — so maybe there’s a genetic element. COPE WELL WITH PAIN? I THINK I’ve coped with a reasonable amount. When you compete at a high level you have to be very strong mentally. HAD ANYTHING REMOVED? MY APPENDIX in 1998. It flared up but the doctors didn’t think it was worth operating straight away. My coach, fortunately, decided I should have it out. They did the operation and found it was very near rupturing. EVER BEEN DEPRESSED? PROBABLY. It’s very common in sportspeople who have achieved extraordinary things. They’re at a loss when they have to get back to real life. For me the slump came when the flame in the Olympic cauldron went out (after London 2012). My Olympic dream was over. I had to find new goals. WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE? ACHY-LEG syndrome. I wake up and my legs ache and I need to get up and walk about. My dad and older sister get it, too. BIGGEST PHOBIA? I AM not very keen on snakes.