Featured Athlete: 
Adam Chandley: long & triple jumper, sometime sprinter and SWAC Performance Athlete of the Year 2002.
Interview by Emma Chandley

So Adam, tell us something about yourself I'm 17 years old and a student at KGV College studying Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. I spend most of my spare time at training, but the rest of it I like to spend with mates - usually eating pizza!

Do you plan a career in the sciences, then? I'm actually applying to do Economics at University rather than a science subject. I'm not really sure what I'll be doing after uni yet though.

How long have you been doing athletics? Far too long! I'm not sure, 9 years I think. Well, it was long ago enough for P2 LKO to be the proud owner of a navy blue Ford Escort! I believe I was the first person he coached at Southport Waterloo.

How did you get into it? I was playing football for Ainsdale. Obviously I wasn't very good because Brian Grice (the manager) suggested I went along to athletics training. 

What is your main event? The event that I'm best at is the triple jump. I also do the long jump and on very rare occasions some sprinting. 

Triple jump is a very technical event. Do you find it difficult? It's not really that hard to do, but to get it perfect is quite difficult. My technique has improved a lot since I started, but I still have a lot to work on. 

What do you concentrate on? Do you have a routine to produce the 'perfect jump'? Not really no. The event is quite technical, and so it is very easy to make one small mistake that ruins the whole jump. I just try and be as consistent as possible.

What are your personal bests? 13.91m for the triple jump and 6.33m for the long jump. I would also include my track times but they do not do justice to my amazing sprinting ability! 

What has been your greatest achievement in athletics? I would say that my greatest achievement has been qualifying for the English Schools for the past two years. I've been in athletics a long time, and before I was old enough to do the triple jump I never imagined that I would be able to qualify for a big competition like the Schools, so when I finally got there I was very pleased. In terms of performance in a competition I suppose the Merseyside County Championships last year where I broke the championship record is probably the best. 

What is more important to you and why; winning or producing a good jump? For me producing a good jump is more important. Whether you win or not often depends on who is in the competition and how well they jump, so for the most part winning is out of your control. Producing a good jump is different, because it is down to your performance on the day and it doesn't matter who you are jumping against. Obviously the ideal is to win with a good jump, and in bigger competitions you often prefer to win than jump well. In general though I always aim to jump to the best of my ability, and worry where I finish afterwards.

What does your training entail? During the summer I have been doing three sessions a week. Whenever possible I go to Preston on a Tuesday to do some triple jump training with Caroline and Pete Warden. Thursday nights are spent at Edge Hill where I either do some jumps work with Danielle Dalle Mulle, or a track session with Graham. I also do weights training on a Monday night. Over the winter I will be incorporating some plyometric work into my schedule which should help my jumping next year. 

So Adam, dish the dirt on the training squad Sorry! I want to continue training with them. Anyway I am famous for not saying anything. 

What does training with a regular squad mean to you? It's a really good thing. Graham always says that anything that squad members achieve is a reflection on the whole squad and I think that's right. The squad help to make training fun, and that makes even the hardest session seem a lot easier.

What are your aims for next season and beyond? Qualifying for the English Schools next year shouldn't be too hard because I was only 9 cms off this year, so I should be able to aim for a good performance once I get there and also at the AAAs. Beyond that I'm not really sure. I should probably think about getting a job sometime soon, but hopefully not too soon! 

Who has influenced you most in your athletics career? I take inspiration from my own brilliance! No, probably Graham Pilkington as he has guided me through my whole career in athletics. I suppose I should really thank Mum and Dad for being my taxi service for the past 9 years, (which reminds me I should also learn to drive as well!). Plus I also thank the new Mr and Mrs P for countless lifts. 

Do you have a role model? Yes I do Neo from the Matrix. (There is no spoon!) 

Thanks! But do you have a role model in athletics? I wouldn't really say that I have a role model. I always used to like watching Linford Christie run, and I thought that the way he was able to focus on his own race was really good. Besides that obviously being a triple jumper I like to watch the triple jump, and especially Jonathan Edwards, even though he's a very different jumper to me because his jumps are very much based around his speed on the runway.

What do you think about Jonathan Edwards retiring from competition? I don't think that he timed his retirement very well to be honest. You could tell that his heart wasn't properly in the World Championship final. Considering how little he has jumped this year I think he should have stopped last year because that way he would have ended on more of a high. Obviously whenever he was going to retire it was not going to be a good thing because he was arguably the greatest triple jumper ever, and so the sport will miss him.

What do you think makes a good athlete? You have to be dedicated and willing to work hard. Natural ability is important, but a lot of it comes down to how hard you work at training, and how much time and effort you put into it. You have to learn to meet with triumph and disaster, and treat these two impostors just the same! Most importantly though you need to enjoy the sport and have fun because otherwise it wouldn't be worthwhile. 

What do you like best about athletics or jumping in particular? Competing is definitely the best bit. It's where all the hard work comes together and you get your chance to perform. I think most athletes would say the same thing.

Do you follow athletics on the TV? Yes, when I get the chance. I also went to the Commonwealth Games in the City of Manchester Stadium, which has since then become the home of the only half-decent football team in Manchester! I have also been an official 'London Marathon Tape Holder' on several occasions, most notably Khalid Kanouchi's world record in 2002.

Do you have any hobbies outside athletics? I like listening to music. My favourite band is Oasis, who I went to see last summer in London, but I listen to all sorts of music. I don't really play any other sports, just a bit of tennis sometimes. Besides that I spend the rest of my spare time with my mates, watching the telly, or with my gorgeous girlfriend Stephanie. 

Do you find it hard to balance college work, social life and athletics? Athletics is very time consuming, but I do still manage to fit everything in. I can usually get my college work done quite quickly being the genius that I am! As long as I use the free time at college wisely I end up with enough time to do everything else that I want to do.

Finally, do you see yourself pursuing a professional athletics career in the future? If I keep improving at the triple jump you never know! I would like to, but I'm not sure if I will get to be good enough. That doesn't mean I'm going to give up athletics - as long as I'm enjoying it I will carry on. 
 
 

Other interviews:
John Burnett, Sam Moran, Graham Pilkington, Helen Taylor, Rick Bowker, Adam Chandley, Sue Cooper, Paul Record Rob Berry Rhea Ellis Norman Marshall Eddie Simpkins James Armstrong