The Secret Life Of…the
Flo Early on the thrills and spills of chasing a giant cheese down a steep hill to win…a giant cheese
cheese roller. It’s as nutty as it sounds
I never planned to be a cheese roller.
But when my brother took part, my competitive side took over and I had to do it. Somehow, I won the race. I was 17.
I’ve won the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling
and Wake four times – more than any other woman. But I’m planning to never do it again. It became more daunting each year. I felt like I was testing fate and I was really worried I was going to break my neck!
I grew up in Gloucester, close to the event.
It’s a hilly landscape and I was always that kid who wanted to climb to the highest branch on a tree or hurtle down a hill. In some ways, I think I was better suited to cheese rolling as a kid.
I dislocated my shoulder one year
and couldn’t sleep on my back for six months. This year, I broke my leg, although at the time I thought it was just a sprained ankle. Those injuries were a bit of a wake-up call.
I spoke with [21-time winner] Chris Anderson
before this year’s race. He encouraged me to do a practice day. I was ‘roly-polying’ down the hill, seeing if I could bounce out of them [the rolls] quickly and start running again. He told me to keep my legs wide, my ankles deep in the ground and to pick my line. But it all went out the window when the race began.
You have to get out quickly.
A lot of people are too hesitant at the start. You can carry your early momentum down the hill, so you need a good leap of faith to start.
The Brockworth rugby club are at the bottom
and they tend to save their big hits for anyone they think has gone down too cautiously. They seem to leave me alone.
You get to take the wheel of cheese home.
I like cheese, so that’s a bonus, but I’ve never managed to eat it all. It’s massive.
I used to run a bit.
I did a half marathon a few years back, but I’ve become a bit lazy recently. I’d like to get back into it.
The event is mad.
Everyone should go.
There are thousands of spectators. In a way, that keeps you going. It gives you courage, the same way that it does in a marathon. The crowd gives you the extra push you need.
‘YOU GET TO TAKE THE WHEEL OF CHEESE HOME. I LIKE CHEESE, SO THAT’S A BONUS, BUT I'VE NEVER MANAGED TO EAT IT ALL’
Florence Early is a photographer www.florenceearly.co.uk