Like father, like daughter as Miss Cram goes for gold
HOPES FOR WORLD DUATHLON TITLE
STRIDING away, leaving her rivals in her wake, her style is unmistakable.
Athlete Josie Cram is following in her father’s footsteps - but is going one better by combining a run with a bike ride.
The daughter of former 1,500m world record holder Steve Cram won silver at the World Duathlon Championships last year, less than a year after taking up cycling as a way of keeping fit while she was injured.
Josie, 28, takes part in sprint duathlon events which combine 7.5km of running and 20km of cycling, and is aiming to go one better at the next world championships in Denmark.
She said: “I’ve always been into sport. When I was at school I wasn’t a runner but I did a bit of hockey and football.
“I didn’t really get into running until after university.
“When you’ve got a dad who has won the world championships you always think you’re never going to be that good.
“I’ve had Achilles problems for quite a long time so I was never able to push myself as much as I wanted to.
“I had got to a bit of a frustrated point last summer so I started doing a bit of riding, just to keep myself fit.
“I entered my first duathlon last October just for a bit of fun, just to see what I could do really, and it happened to be a qualifier for the European championships in April.
“I qualified and I managed to get a bronze medal, and then I went out to Canada in the summer for the world championships and picked up a silver.
“It was quite exciting to have something I was fairly decent at, even if it came as a bit of a surprise. I’m hopeful I can go one better.
“I started as an 800m runner and it just filled me with dread when my name got announced, and the nerves always used to get me.
“I’ve found I’m much more comfortable on the road. My dad has always encouraged me to do the things that I enjoyed doing.” Steve Cram, now 57, won the 1,500m at the 1983 world championships, claiming the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in the same year.
He said: “Josie has always been keen. I’ve never pushed either of my kids into running or anything like that, I just did what any other parent would do. There was no great plan.
“One thing Josie has is she’s very determined; she’s not going to be put off by anything.
“It’s no surprise that she’s taken it up so quickly. The opportunities are different from what you get in athletics. It gives people the chance to sample what it’s like to pull a national vest on and any parent would be proud.
“She wasn’t that far away in the first year when she was learning everything.
“She has to be a bit more aggressive with her bike riding.
“She knows what she needs to work on, which is half the battle.
“It would be brilliant if she won; I’d be really proud of her. There’s always a bit of pressure with kids who have got famous mums and dads in sport but I’m delighted that she’s got the chance to flourish in her own right.
“She works so hard and I love to see people who really commit to something do well.”
Josie is raising money through breakfast brand Fuel10K with an unusual sponsorship method which asks friends to raise ‘points’ by sharing Facebook posts and answering surveys rather than by donating money directly.
She said: “I have to fund myself to go to the championships. As much as it’s amazing to represent Great Britain, it’s a costly thing to do.
“I’ve been around the running block for quite a long time and I tried to stay away from all the shakes and powders and all the rest of it. “It’s a privilege to work with a brand with products that both taste nice and do the job they advertise.”