Doing it like Dina

If you thought the small matter of a postponed Olympics could knock the confidence of the fastest British woman in history, then you’ve really not got the measure of Dina Asher-smith. Here, the 25-year-old opens up about stepping out of her comfort zone, inspiring the next generation of sportswomen and why, when it counts, she knows she will not fail

The expectations versus reality for summer 2020 were pretty stark all round. But consider the contrast for Dina Ashersmith. The 25-year-old, who holds the record of fastest British woman ever, was supposed to be in Tokyo, bringing home the gold medal for Team GB with explosive performances in both the 100 and 200 metre sprints, cheered on by a 68,000-strong crowd. Instead, she was at home in Kent, ordering garden furniture, trimming hedges and marvelling at how pleasant the summer months can be in the south east of England. ‘I’ve not had a summer in Britain since I was 15 and I didn’t know there was actually so much sunshine!’ she laughs. We’re talking on a grey Tuesday morning as England readies itself for another nationwide lockdown and already we’re reminiscing, misty-eyed, about the relative freedoms of last summer. Dina (whisper it) quite enjoyed being grounded for once. The house that was more of a glorified storage unit became an actual lived-in home.

She spent time with the friends she’d normally only speak to via Whatsapp, hung out with her parents and enjoyed cosy nights at home in front of Rupaul’s Drag Race – while posting the odd cute throwback bikini snap to the ’gram.

The immediate pressure may have been off but, ever the detail-oriented planner, Dina was already preparing for Tokyo 2021. ‘When the pandemic hit, it was like: right, okay, let’s make sure my brain’s okay,’ she says. ‘The first thing I did was to get a psychologist [one who’s in-house at British Athletics] because I’ve worked too hard for too long to have something like a pandemic ruin the next few years for me.’ Dina wasn’t racked with anxiety about the pandemic, nor struggling to cope with a dramatic deviation from the plan; she was, ostensibly, fine. ‘But if you don’t deal with [stress] at the time, when it’s your biggest moment – say, the Olympics – and you’re under scrutiny, [that’s when] those things [might] pop up.’ And it’s not just Tokyo 2021 (which, as this issue goes to press, is still set to go ahead in some form) she’s mentally training for. Dina’s five-year plan probably makes yours look distinctly unambitious. ‘We’ll have the Olympics in 2021; in 2022, it’s the World Championships and the Commonwealth Games, because our schedules have been condensed, and we’ll have the European Athletics

‘I’ve worked too hard for too long to have something like a pandemic ruin the next few years for me’

Championships that year. [Then, in] 2023, we’ll have another World Championship; in 2024, we’ll have another Olympic Games in Paris; in 2025, another World Championship...’ she reels them off, counting on her fingers. ‘So, we’ve got five years on the go, which in track and field we have never seen before. And the only way you can put your best foot forward is by being in the right frame of mind.’

Game face

But what began as a sort of psychological insurance policy for Tokyo 2021 evolved into sessions in which Dina began to process the character gymnastics she’s been engaged in recently. ‘Over the past few years, my life has changed quite a lot. Because, believe it or not, when I was at school I was quite shy. But, obviously, you realise that being shy, unfortunately, is incompatible with being a high-profile sportsperson. Because people will take your shyness as either you’re trying to hide something, or you’re being mean, or being cold – and you just have to come out of your shell,’ she explains, voice low, choosing her words carefully. Let’s not forget that Dina isn’t just a record-breaking athlete, but a much-loved and lauded British celebrity who sits front row at fashion weeks, stars in campaigns for the likes of Louis Vuitton and writes a column for a weekly glossy magazine. When you’re famous not only for your ability but also for your personality, there must be pressure to be warm, engaging, likeable. And while I get the impression that Dina has this stuff in spades, sharing the other sides of herself has taken work. ‘I spend my time talking [in sessions] about how I’m adjusting to being high profile because... it’s weird.’ She pauses. ‘I didn’t ever think I was going to be high profile; famous. Mainly, we just talk