Windsurfing with Bryony Shaw

Bronze Olympic medalist Bryony Shaw talks windsurfing and tactics for 2012 with Alex Hazell.
The first GB woman to win a windsurfing medal,
Bryony is also working on the Volkswagen Escape campaign to encourage people to get out there and realise their dreams.

What made you take up windsurfing? The seas around the UK aren't exactly inviting...

Well you do get to wear a wetsuit so it's not that bad! I actually learnt on summer holiday camping with my family in France. Back in the UK I went on a sailing and windsurfing course in Pembrokeshire aged twelve and I just always wanted to do the windsurfing more than the sailing or kayaking or anything else so I kept on with it.

My mum and dad also have a love for windsurfing and sailing, but we all discovered it at a similar time. It wasn't like they pushed me into it because it was a passion of theirs. My dad was a boxer when he was younger and my mum was into horse riding. We've always been a fairly active family.

It looks like a sport that needs a lot of brute strength. Does this make it very male dominated?

I suppose it is male dominated because it is considered an extreme sport. You're out there at the mercy of the elements and it's tricky to find ideal conditions for learning. It's pretty tough on more extreme days. When you're learning it's best to be on a lake or on sheltered water.

In terms of strength I was always a very determined character and part of the appeal of windsurfing were the obstacles. I had fairly good balance and I just learnt the skills I needed to keep on moving up a level. By Level 3 you start to use a harness and foot straps and it becomes easier, but it's a sport where you are always learning. I'm still learning!

What is a typical training day like and what are you training for currently?

Well windsurfing is my full time job and I'm in a four year plan at the moment. My main goal this year is the World Championships in Weymouth in September 2009. My year is structured towards training for that.

I do lots of cross training like cycling where I aim to ride at 80 per cent of my ability for two hours. I would maybe do this in the morning, then take a rest and then be out on the water in the afternoon. I'll do 3 days training like this, then take a half or full day off depending on how I'm feeling.

Do you follow a special diet plan?

In the build up to Beijing we knew there would be light winds and the lighter I was the better because windsurfing is a lot to do with weight ratios. I usually weigh around 58 kilos and I got down to about 55.5 for the Olympics. We have nutritionists and lots of us were dieting all at the same time so it wasn't as hard as it could have been if someone else was tucking into chocolate bars or something. We had to be really careful and begin the diet a month before so I didn't lose any strength.

I eat to fuel my exercise so on a typical day I'll have porridge - the carbs provide great slow release energy - and then maybe some fruit or a sandwich for lunch to keep my carb levels up and then maybe a chicken stir fry for dinner. On lighter training days I try to avoid heavy carbs like bread.