British elite athletes on what it takes to reach the top

Imagine this: your feet are in the starting blocks. Your head’s down. You’re one good race away from qualifying for the biggest competition of your life. Out of the silent stadium comes a sudden shout. You bolt. But the starting gun hasn’t gone. Have you blown it? Is your race over before it’s even begun?

These were the thoughts of British track and field hurdler, Alastair Chalmers, on 29 June as he walked back to the starting blocks at the Manchester Regional Arena in disbelief, hands clasped behind his head. Little did he know what appeared to be the “worst day” of his life, would quickly become “the best” .

Chalmers, who specialises in the 400m hurdles, proceeded to run like his dreams depended on it (they did), and earned a personal best of 48.54 seconds. Oh, and he also secured a fifth consecutive British title.

But what of the false start? Officials upheld his appeal after agreeing there was too much noise at the starting line.

Welcome to the life of an athlete.

With so much drama and emotional turbulence commonplace across an athlete’s career, it begs the question: what does it take to reach the pinnacle of sport?

Meet three Team RBC and SportsAid alumni

Chalmers, Izzy Petter (field hockey) and Bryony Pitman (archery) are competing this summer and are all previous beneficiaries of SportsAid, a charity that every year supports over 1,000 of Britain’s brightest sporting prospects – the vast majority aged 12 to 18 – by providing them with a financial award to help towards training and competition costs.

For over a decade, RBC has supported a cohort of these SportsAid athletes, dubbed “Team RBC,” through financial assistance, recognition and personal development opportunities, all whilst raising over £1 million for SportsAid in the process.

The charity’s work is paying off. SportsAid alumni won a whopping 141 medals for Great Britain at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

We sat down with Chalmers, Petter and Pitman – all Team RBC alumni – to find out what it takes to get to the top.

Believe in yourself

Dealing with the physical and emotional pressure of competing on the international stage can be intense. Thousands of eyes, TV cameras, your own expectations – and that’s before you’ve even begun competing. It requires a special mindset to excel in this environment.

Petter says she handles pressure with positive self-affirmation. “We’ve done so much training as a team and played hundreds of games, so I tell myself that this is just another match and is a time when we can have fun and enjoy ourselves,” she explains.

Similarly, Pitman relishes the pressure of competition. “I love the feeling of competing, especially on the world stage,” she says. “I find that when I’m excited to compete that’s when I perform at my best.”

Persevere in spite of the sacrifices

Remember the saying, “No pain, no gain?” For many young and aspiring athletes, one form of pain is sacrificing elements of their social lives.

“When I was 18, I wanted to stop playing hockey and do a gap year with my friends. I often had ‘FOMO,’” says Petter. “But looking back, I’m so glad I didn’t step away as I went on to the Tokyo Olympics and have met amazing people and made some incredible memories through sport.”

Chalmers’ biggest frustration with the amount of time spent training is not being able to see loved ones as much as he’d like. “Being away from my partner can be very hard. And in my younger years, not having as much fun as I should’ve with my friends was difficult,” he says. “But I think with any dream it requires sacrifice and courage to make it happen.”

Elite competition can also impact an athlete’s education. “Finding the balance between training and education was always tricky,” says Pitman. “To some extent, my sporting goals had to take priority over my academic ones.”

Stick to your routine

With demanding training and competition schedules, having a routine provides a sense of normality for the athletes and can contribute to their success.

“Archery is all about consistency,” says Pitman. “Everything I do in my training is to make my shot as repeatable as possible. Lots of factors play into that: number of arrows shot, strength training, cardio, mental routines such as visualisation and even recovery.”

Find enjoyment outside of the sport

Excelling professionally at a sport is all well and good, but it comes with the risk of falling out of love with it. 

“Maintaining mental wellbeing is a challenge at times,” says Petter. “Especially when your self-worth and identity is attached to your sport. I find that it’s super important to have other things in my life that I can do outside of hockey.”

Pitman echoes this sentiment. “I always like to have something outside of my sport to focus on, be it university, family, friends or other hobbies. That way I’m less likely to define myself by my results.”

Have cheerleaders in your corner

From Andy Murray climbing over the Wimbledon crowd to Usain Bolt embracing his mother after success in the 100 metres, perhaps one of the most influential factors in becoming a successful athlete is the support from friends and family.

“My family and friends have had incredibly important roles in my journey,” says Pitman, whose father is also her coach. “My parents have been there through all the highs and lows, while my friends and partner remind me that no matter what happens in sport, there is a good life outside of it. They all remind me to believe in myself and help me to never give up.”

“I would never have achieved what I have today without the support of my family and coaches,” echoes Chalmers. “Their financial and emotional support is everything, especially as a younger athlete – it definitely takes a team to succeed in any sport.”

It’s not just friends and family who play important roles in athletes’ lives. Charities and partners like SportsAid and RBC, respectively, can have a transformative effect on the trajectories of a young athlete’s career.

“Support from SportsAid and RBC at such an early stage in my career was really important in helping me to develop as an athlete,” says Pitman. “It enabled me to train as much as possible and took some of the financial burden off my parents.”

Chalmers agrees, noting, “As a young athlete, having people and companies believe in you gives you a sense of belonging that you need as an aspiring athlete.”

Similarly, this support gave Petter an extra dose of confidence. “SportsAid’s support made me realise that maybe I could be a full-time athlete and that I had the potential to reach my dreams,” she says.