Training is my happyplace where I get to think for myself and be free...
Former Olympic athlete Perri Shakes-Drayton tells ABI JACKSON she still loves to get her running shoes on and how motherhood reframed her perspective on joy
WHEN Perri Shakes-Drayton retired from athletics, she thought her training days were over.
“I thought that was it – I’m not interested in more running, that’s me done, don’t talk to me about no gym,” recalls the former Team GB Olympian, who competed in 400m sprints, relays and hurdles, and won three world medals during her career.
“Lies!” she adds, laughing. Because although the adjustment “was a bit wonky at times”, Perri, who announced her retirement in February 2020, quickly realised that training is her “happy place” – even if it did now look a bit different.
The London-born 35-year-old – who has a three-year-old son, Matthew, with her husband, former high jumper Mike Edwards – continues: “Then, when I was pregnant with my son, I would go for runs, but things became more low-impact and everything slowed down. I was like – oh, this is not the training I’m used to. I’m used to being in pain, you know? But I learned that just movement is important...
“It’s not for any extreme speeds or rewards now, it’s all intrinsic. That’s where I get to think for myself and be free.”
Perri, who took part in Channel 4’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins last year (“it was brutal”), is still “goaldriven”, however.
“I really do think that is how I work best,” she says. “It’s not about pressure, I think it’s just me kind of holding accountability. I have a reason why I’m doing it, you know?”
She took part in the London Marathon last year and on Sunday will be tackling the London Landmarks Half Marathon – once again running for the charity Tommy’s, which supports people who’ve lost babies and funds research to help prevent baby loss from happening.
It’s a cause close to her heart, after experiencing an ectopic pregnancy – which happens when a fertilised egg gets implanted outside of the womb, leading to pregnancy loss and potentially life-threatening complications.
“I didn’t really know what [ectopic pregnancy] was at the time,” Perri recalls. “And then, from sharing my story, a lot of people came forward saying, ‘Yes, it’s happened to me too.’ So I thought, why not continue to spread awareness?
“Obviously, I’ve not tried for a baby since, I’m enjoying my life with my one son,” she adds. “But who knows what the future holds?”
Becoming a parent has made her “see joy in life” differently, she says.
“I feel like my childlike side has come out a little bit more now. We go on what I call adventures, me and my son, we’re always out and about – the theatre, the museum, play dates.
“I like to see and explore the world, and I feel like having my son, I get to share it with him, so life is different in that sense,” she smiles. “It’s still active, but in a slowed down version.”