A Chat with GB Girls ahead of 2014 European Championships

British Taekwondo [BT] speaks to some of our Female Athlete selection ahead of the European Championships 2014. Athletes Georgia Barnes, Rachelle Booth Nicole Huntington and Asia Bailey chat with our Media Officer, Bethany, as they reveal their thoughts on training and competing. The girls also give a great insight about themselves off the mat, as vibrant personalities shine through in the group chat.

[Georgia Barnes: GB] [Rachelle Booth: RB] [Nicole Huntington: NH] [Asia Bailey: AB]

BT: So we’ll start off with training – how are you finding it girls?

GB: The last two weeks have been really intense, what with the Korean Team coming over. But it’s been really good for all of us. It’s really good having other competitors over to train with us because the people who we normally train with, we all know each other’s style; we know what each one of us does on the mat. The training camps give us the chance to see different things, the style is different, so you get the chance to work around it and practice with new people and techniques.

AB: Yeah, when we spar each other we get really used to it, we know what to expect.

RB: Like Georgia said, the past four weeks have been really intense. Three or four weeks ago the Polish team also came over, and we’ve just finished that training camp, and

we’ve just finished a training camp with the Koreans. These few weeks have been intense but so worthwhile, I’ve gained a lot from it and it’s such good preparation for the Europeans.

BT: So do you do a bit of everything – cardio – strength?

RB: Well we have different types of sessions, so on Mondays we have a Taekwondo session and then a S&C session which is strength and conditioning, and we have separate S&C coaches to help us work on core, legs etc.

BT: From what I understand you peter your training out right before the competition?

GB: Yeah, we have a week left and the level of training drops a lot. It’s so that we’re fresh and ready.

AB: It’s obviously been quite difficult, you do go through a difficult phase to

prepare for the Europeans, but once it gets into the last couple of weeks we taper down the training, you’re encouraging that peak performance for when you get on the mat. We’ve been starting to go into our taper phase following all the training camps and things.

BT: This tapering phase- is this a good time to get yourself mentally ready?

AB: Yes definitely. Because there’s less training, you become less tired and more focused mentally, so you can really think about the psychology. We have a psychologist and we have meetings with him where we talk about how we want to perform and how you want to feel on the day of competition.

BT: And having other teams over – is it good for morale as well as physical training?

NH: It’s nice to meet new people from different countries – and it’s great because when we’re older we can say; ‘oh we trained with the Koreans, we trained with the Russians’. But at the same time, you’re still competing against each other, you might turn up to a competition and be in the same category, then they’re your opponents.

BT: I’ve always wondered what it must be like, meeting and befriending other athletes in your career and then facing them in a match. Does friendship go out the window when you’re facing someone as an opponent?

NH: Once you’re on the mat - I mean - you just fight. You’re there to win, like you are at any other competition. Afterwards you shake hands, you give each other a hug – but that’s afterwards [laughs].

BT: Do you have any techniques that you use on the day of competition to keep yourself calm and focused?

AB: I used to get nerves quite badly. I have this sheet called my ‘Peak Performance Chart’, and it basically tells or reminds me

that: I’ve done well at all these competitions, so why won’t I do just as well as this competition? It’s positive things all written down so I can rehearse them in my head before I go into the match.

BT: It must be hard to keep the motivation when training is so intense…

GB: Um – I think of you just think about the possible outcome – a Gold – that just really keeps me going.

RB: It’s basically just thinking about the next competition, that feeling you get when you win Gold…

BT: What would Gold at the Euros mean to you?

GB: It would be absolutely amazing. To go from a Junior title to Senior it would mean everything.

RB: That feeling when you win – it’s amazing. At first – its like – massive relief. You’ve had all this weight on your shoulders, all this pressure and it’s just gone, you know you’ve won its just – amazing.

NH: Oh it would mean everything. It would be amazing because this is my first year that I’ve been with GB Taekwondo so, if I could make that milestone it would just be amazing to reach that level, quite quickly.

AB: It would mean the world, especially as it’s my first Senior major competition. Last year I did Senior A-class competition, so it’s just to pick up points. But this is a title; this is how you get the most points towards Olympic rankings. As I’m only 16 and it’s my first major it would even be quite surprising for me to get that title..

BT: Well I wouldn’t be surprised…

AB: [laughs]

BT: Ok so away from the Euros training, off the Mat, tell me what you like to do?

GB: Well, we only have the weekend off, so it’s really all about catching up with friends and family. That’s the main thing. It can be hard to balance the social life. Especially because it’s quite far away that I live – in Southampton – so travelling home takes about four hours alone. So when I get home it’s just focusing on seeing family and friends – the people I don’t see all week.

RB: Yeah I like going home, spending that time with my family. Because I don’t live too far from Manchester, I live in Wigan so at any opportunity I just go home and spend time that with my family... and my dog!

BT: Awh! What’s its name?

RB: Misty! [laughs] she’s a Labrador! Weekends are always spent relaxing, and just chilling out.

NH: When I go back home, it really is just catching up with friends and family. But a few of us go to college as well so – we have our work there too.

BT: What do you study?

NH: Biology – it can be hard to fit in the revision but normally we finish at reasonable hours so we can go home and do it. Then during the day we’ll go to college as usual.

BT: Asia – don’t you play guitar?!

AB: [laughs] Yes! I used to have lessons and stuff but because I’ve got my Highers(Scottish qualifications), I’ve been putting focus towards preparing for them – so I’ll come back to the guitar. It’s quite a nice hobby to have; it can be relaxing, creative...

BT: So what do you study?

AB: Um, Biology Chemistry, Maths, English and French –

BT: Oh lord.

AB: [laughs] It’s quite difficult but I think it’s easier when you make a plan, I organise my time for different subjects and different types of revision around training and exam practice.

BT: Do you use the same focusing and organisational techniques in yourschoolwork that you use in Taekwondo?

AB: Yes definitely, I get just as nervous going into exams, you get the same negative thoughts. I sort of look at my past exam results and how much studying I’ve done, think of the positives.

And the most important question!

BT: Girls, what animal, if you could be any, would you choose to be and why?

RB: Oh my god that’s so good [laughs]

GB: I’d probably be a bird, just so I could fly. I’m quite lazy like that so I’d love to just fly about… But not like – a pigeon! It would have to be a hawk, or something majestic like that [laughs].

RB: That’s a good one. It’d be a bit boring that’s all.

GB: Not me.

[Both laugh]

RB: I’d like to be either a dog – or like – a cheetah. The only reason I’d like to be a dog is because everyone loves dogs. They have such good lives! But a cheetah; so cool, just so: “roar.” [laughs]

AB: I don’t know, I think I’d have to be a bird too. I’d like to fly around the world – be a migrating bird!

RB: That would be tiring though!

AB: Yeah, I think I want to be tiger as well as a bird [all laugh]. You could go into battle in the rain forest!

RB: Yeah, actually I’m going to be a leopard, not a cheetah. Because then I could be permanently leopard print…

BT: And you could climb trees…

RB: Yeah! Just chill in a tree. Leopard print. [laughs]

NH: A lion would be pretty good! No one can really disturb you, King of the Jungle. You could chill out, relax…

BT: Have a mane!

NH: [laughs]

BT: Well thanks so much for chatting with me girls, and the very best of luck to all of you for the European Championships!

For further details contactAdrian Tranter PresidentBritish Taekwondo

Mike Mckenzie Development OfficerBritish TaekwondoOr:Bethany Bishop Media Officermedia@britishtaekwondo.org

British Taekwondo, Office 6, Park Road, Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire, England, NG19 8ERT: 01623 656025W: www.britishtaekwondo.org.ukF: www.facebook.com/BritTaekwondo Tw: www.twitter.com/BritTaekwondo