How did you get the role at the EIS? I was on the board for UK Sport from 2006 to 2010 so people were aware of me. I was asked to apply and was successful in my application. At the time, I wasn’t working in sport, although I was on the board of UK Sport. I was aware of the sea change that was going on across the high performance system and I wanted to be part of it. There was a real shift in terms of funding, the attitude towards elite sport and the development of UK Sport’s ‘No Compromise’ approach.
What are the biggest trends affecting the work of the EIS? The biggest trend is probably in other nations becoming equally well funded, or bridging the gap in funding, and then putting in place a high performance system like we have in the UK.
What is the EIS doing to prepare for the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games? We’re working very closely with the BPA and the BOA to prepare our athletes. I
Walker retired from athletics in 1992 to pursue a second career as a rugby player for Cardiff RFC
have to be a little bit coy about the details of what we’re working on with them, but I can say that we’re looking at wind direction, climate, humidity and suitable clothing for our athletes. As soon as our athletes leave this
country they will go to a holding camp either in Brazil or in some cases other destinations, in order to acclimatise them. We’re helping to do a lot of the work involved in identifying those holding camps and the conditions the athletes are going to face in Rio.
What are our chances of being the first nation to win more Olympic medals post-hosting? I think we’ve got an excellent chance. It’s a very challenging target – you’d expect it to be, as no-one has ever done it before – but I think the sports are going to rise to
sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 4 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
the challenge. We’re two years away from the Rio 2016 Olympics and we’re better placed than we were two years away from the London Olympics. That’s not to say anybody’s getting complacent, of course, but we’re in a good position.
What are biggest differences between when you were an athlete and today? It’s the level of support available. Today our athletes have 360 degree support from experts in performance lifestyle, psychology, physiotherapy, nutrition and so on. I had a full time job outside of athletics and I didn’t have any of those support services. My physiotherapist was the wife of a friend, nutrition was what my mum put on the table, performance analysis would be me remembering to ask my mum to tape my race so I could look at it afterwards.
How do you spend your free time? I’m married and have three daughters, aged 21, 19 and 16 so I have my hands full. With the amount of travelling I do, just being at home is relaxation enough. l
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PHOTO: HUW EVANS AGENCY
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