The one lesson I’ve learned from life

Gabby Logan

SPORTS reporter Gabby Logan, 43, daughter of football manager Terry yorath, is one of only a handful of female sports journalists to break into television, rising to present Match of The Day and bbC Sports Personality of The year. She lives in London with her husband, former Scotland international rugby union player Kenny Logan, and their 11-year-old twins Lois and reuben.

TALENT ALONE WON’T GET YOU TO THE TOP

From my earliest years I learned that hard work is the key to success. I grew up in an incredibly close family and losing my 15-year-old brother Daniel — a promising footballer — from an undiagnosed heart condition in 1992 was the biggest tragedy our family has had to face.

The majority of my life choices emanate from my loss. A carpe diem attitude runs through everything I do — I try not to miss any opportunities.

I was 19 when it happened. my way of coping with such grief was to throw myself into working hard, to open my heart to new challenges.

I was working for my local radio station while I was at university in Durham and I also juggled a series of other jobs — I was a nanny, a fitness trainer and a waitress.

When I look back, I realise that I worked almost seven days a week. As time has passed, I have felt more and more that, for me, hard work is the key to happiness.

There’s no such thing as an overnight success. That’s the most important thing I try to pass on to Lois and reuben.

Lois loves showjumping. She’s doing well, and can that see the harder she works, the better she gets when she is entering competitions.

Today, my husband and children are my priority, so whatever I do in my career, it had better be bloody good! I’d better put everything into it because I’m not going to waste time being away from the kids if I don’t do my absolute best.

I also know that you don’t just have to work at your job — your relationship requires effort, too. You’ve got to give everything you can because it’s time, energy and love a family most needs — not material things.

As a couple, my husband Kenny and I need to make time for each other to keep the love growing deeper. I work on that, too. Nothing happens without the effort.

Gabby LOGAN is one of the hosts of BBC Sports Personality of The year 2016, live on bbC1, Sunday, December 18, from 6.40pm.