Becky ‘so nervous’ when boyfriend George plays
WELSH sprint cyclist Becky James has spoken of the “stresses” of watching boyfriend George North in action.
The Olympic medal-winner, who won two silver medals at the Olympic Velodrome in Rio, was in New Zealand watching North in action for the British Lions this summer.
North has been victim of two severe head injuries on the pitch where he lost consciousness – raising concerns over concussions in the game and the effects of head injuries on players.
Being an athlete herself, James revealed she sometimes struggles watching the Wales wing on the field.
She said: “It’s really hard. We speak about this because he’s like, ‘It’s so stressful watching one another’.
“I know why he found watching the Olympics so hard – he was so nervous. Every game he plays I feel like that. I try not to worry but it’s hard not to. It’s hard to focus on the game if you’re there in the stands. I find it hard to not focus on anyone but him, making sure he’s OK. But if I’m watching telly it’s OK – it’s a lot easier, you have to follow the game then.”
Her year off from competition meant she was able to follow North and his teammates on tour around New Zealand as they took on the All Blacks in an exhilarating test series.
She said: “I’ve actually taken a year off. It’s so strange not having a routine to stick to. That’s all I’ve ever known – I had school and then I trained full time.
“I love routine, but I think for your mind and your body it’s great to just have time away from that and just be yourself.
“Last year I missed lots of friends’ weddings, but for the past six months I’ve been able to bake what I want, go and see who I want, drive around as much as I want, go walking with my dogs. I’ve been on a lot of holidays just trying to see as much of the world as I can.
“We go away racing in South America or New Zealand or Australia, but we’ll see a velodrome and a hotel and we leave, so I never get to see it.
“It’s been amazing to go sightseeing and walking around because, being a cyclist, they always say, ‘Stay off your feet if you can’ but now I can go out as much as I can.
“It’s just been amazing to see so much of the world and being able to follow George’s rugby over the last year. I went out to New Zealand to see friends and obviously went to watch the rugby. I would never have been able to do something like that before.
“I remember in 2013 I went to watch the Lions tour, but I had a week and then I came straight back and racing at the Europeans.
“It’s just like a different experience being really relaxed.”
A year on from Rio, James admitted she felt “deflated” at the beginning of the year, knowing her next chance at Olympic glory was another four years away.
Looking back, James says it’s finally hit home that she won two silver Olympic medals for the keirin and the women’s sprint.
“It’s amazing. I feel like it’s really sunk in now that it all happened,” she said.
“All that hard work paid off and all the downs I had – they were really tough at the time, but they were so worth it and it was worth pushing through the emotions.
“I just feel like I can enjoy it now and take it all in.”
But she’s comforted by the fact that even if she were to pick up an injury, she knows she’s more than capable of dealing with it – and has learnt a lot about herself in the process.
She said: “I think of what happened between the London Olympics and not going and how much happened in those four years before Rio. I became double World Champion then I was out for over a year and then I managed to come back and have that great year in the runup to the Olympics.
“It gives me great confidence that if I picked up an injury or if I wasn’t training three years out from the next Olympics, it’s completely different.
“I’ve learnt so much about my body over those years that if I have that year of consistent training then it seems to come together.
“It was the same with the World Championships in 2013 – I had really consistent training after having my appendix out and having an Achilles injury.
“It all fell into place, so it does give me confidence.”
For her final month off before her gruelling training regime kicks in again, James says she plans on enjoying herself and spending time with her two dogs, Darcey and Lola.
“It’s quite nice to just enjoy it and then it’s just getting back into riding a bike daily rather than doing yoga a couple of times a week,” she said.
“I’ve been climbing mountains and walking the dogs. All of those things will have to start fizzling out.”
But if there’s one thing that she’s really looking forward to, it’s tucking into a slice of cake whenever she wants.
She said: “Coming up to Rio, I had to give up cake and I didn’t find it hard at the time – I love routine and had everything planned out weekly. I knew what snacks I was going to have and I didn’t feel tempted and factored in that I was going to have one or two treats a week, whether that was a hot chocolate and small Kinder bar.
“But cake was the one thing I gave up, so it’s been nice to enjoy some cake.”
Now James says she’s more than ready to get back on the saddle – and cycle into the next stage of her career.
She said: “It’s just been about enjoying myself and about being Becky James as a human, not Becky James the cyclist, which has been really nice, but I’ve got that fire to get racing and training again.” » Sport Wales inside today