I think the greatest amount of pressure is the pressure I place on myself. So in a way I chose to be alone.
Between 1991 and 1997 I had really serious asthma.
My last real race was at the Olympics in Sydney in 2000.
When I was 18 years old, about to develop my sportsman career, the asthma complaints became already some years before.
For athletes traditionally it’s such a fantastic stepping stone to greater things down the track and in the future. Don’t undermine the Commonwealth Games!
I am very determined and the sport is my passion. I believe I am born for running.
I was always surrounded by expectation from the very first race I ran as a 5-year-old.
I quite clearly have made the right decision in my heart, retirement was the way.
I’ll just let time happen. I don’t have to articulate what may be or what may not be. I don’t even do that to myself.
I like being in the workforce; it keeps me grounded.
I have been told many times that when I win I make my people proud to be Australian. I am Aboriginal, I am one of them and every time I win or am honoured like this it should be an example to Aboriginal people who may think they have nowhere to go but down. But more importantly I am an Australian and I would like to make all Australians feel proud to be Australian. Ours is a truly multicultural society and should be united as such. I would like to believe that my successes are celebrated by all Australians, bringing our nation together.
I took only twice a time-out, once, when I was hurt, and a second time, when I much felt I was exhausted out of personal reasons.
