Former world champion sprinter attributes success to loving what he does

​​​​​​​By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

AYDIN (AA) - Former British sprinter Jamie Baulch, who won silver in the men's 4×400-meter relay at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, said the secret to his success is to love what you do.

He advised young athletes not to give up doing the sport that they are interested in.

The 1997 world champion, who participated in the "Wellness Weekend with Olympic Medalist Athletes" in Western Türkiye's Didim, Aydin, told Anadolu how he started his professional career and evaluated what young people who want to become athletes should do.

Stating that he was very happy to participate in an organization that supports sports in Türkiye, the 52-year-old former athlete said, "My partner Cheryl (Hicks), she's been doing this in a resort in the Caribbean for over a decade, for over 10 years. And she said she wanted to do something more closer to home and she's got a massive passion for Türkiye. She loves Türkiye and she speaks a little bit of Turkish. And she said I want to do it in Türkiye and the next thing you know, we end up doing it. And we're here with all the Olympians and it's amazing."

Stating that he loves Türkiye and Turkish people, Baulch said, "I love Türkiye. I mean, I was in Türkiye last year for three months and I'm going to be in Türkiye again this year for probably two to three months. I love Türkiye, I love the Turkish people, I love the weather, I love the food. I just think Turkish people are really nice and I understand why my partner loves it so much."

Stating that it was the headmaster of the school at the time who guided him to the sport, the former British sprinter said, "I started being an athlete when I was 11 years old in my sports day in school where you all race each other in school. Well, I was literally twice as fast as every kid in the whole school. And my headmaster said, 'I think you should run,' and I was like OK. And then I was the best in the school and then best in my county and then the best in Britain and then the best in Europe and then the best in the world. You know, it just slowly just got better and better. So, it's crazy to think, you know, at some point I was the fastest human being on the planet and I'm like, how did I do that? Because I'm not big. I'm not tall. I'm just like a normal guy. And yeah, it's brilliant."

Stating that his success in sports is that he is happy with what he does, Jamie advised young people to take the opportunities they find.

"Get into a local running club, get into any sport, any sport, go to a local club which is near you. And the most important thing I'd say to any athlete, it doesn't matter if you're starting out or if you're one of the best in the world, enjoy it. You know, because in athletics, you can't do it forever. And the reason why we start things is because we love them. And when you get good at it, love it the same,” he said. “You know, when you're happy, you feel good, you win there. When you're sad and disappointed and angry, you can fight. So, happiness is the key.”