One on one with heptathlete Louise Hazel

by Claire Danaher

Louise Hazel isn’t your average 24-year-old.

She is an international heptathlete who has represented Great Britain at European and World Championships and, in two year’s time she’s hoping to go one better and be a real contender at London 2012.

Hazel is the ninth best British female heptathlete of all time and is currently ranked second in the country, behind World Champion Jessica Ennis.

A heptathlon is made up of seven track and field events, which take place over a two-day period.

The track events are 100 metres hurdles, 200 metres and the 800 metres.

The field events are high jump, shot put, long jump and javelin.

True athleticism

To achieve the highest points score, a heptathlete aims to get the fastest time and longest distance.

Results are converted into points, and the person with the highest points score at the end of all the events is the winner.

Denise Lewis is currently the British record holder with a points score of 6,831, and the world record hasn’t been broken since 1988 when American, Jackie Joyner-Kercee set a score of 7,291.

Hazel was born in Southwark, South London, but it wasn’t until she had moved out of the capital to Cambridgeshire that her talent was discovered: “My dad used to run when he was a teenager and he encouraged me to join a local athletics club after seeing me win at sports day,” reflects Hazel.

Before that she was involved in many sports at a young age, which she credits with helping her become the all- rounder that heptathletes need to be, she said: “I started athletics at 10 years old, although before that I would attend after-school clubs every night of the week.

I enjoyed gymnastics, athletics, rounders, hockey, football, netball, badminton and tennis. I was a good all-rounder even then.”

Completing a degree

Hazel developed her skills at the University of Birmingham where she completed her degree in French studies in 2008.

Although she admits that training as a professional athlete meant her studies were compromised, she says: “While at university I always put my training first. Although I wanted to do well academically, I accepted that I could only do so much. Strangely however, I found that the structure of my lectures and seminars gave me quite a lot of time to train and compete.”

While still at university she got her first taste of the international stage when she represented Great Britain at the 2006 European Championships in Gothenburg, where she finished in 17th place.

The big stage suited Hazel and she picked up a personal best performance of 5,892 points, which she has since bettered.

The following year Hazel moved to France as part of her university course, but she was plagued by injury.

This was followed in 2008 by Hazel’s toughest year as an athlete: “I suffered a series of setbacks,” she said.

“My father tragically passed away, I had my final year exams, I lost my lottery funding and I was attempting to qualify for the Beijing Olympic Games.

Mental toughness

I look back now and realise that because of this I am one of the strongest athletes in the field when it comes to mental toughness, which is a blessing.”

Hazel didn’t let these setbacks stop her and 2009 was her strongest season to date. She qualified for the World Championship in Berlin when she beat her personal best in Germany two months before the championships with a points score of 6,043.

Reflecting on last year’s championship she said: “Berlin was the best sporting event of my career so far. The scale of the event was incredible, the organisation was first class, the atmosphere was electric and the performances, amazing.”

She finished the event in 14th place, along with fellow British heptathlete Jessica Ennis, who won the gold for Britain.

Hazel chose to stay in Birmingham after her degree and now trains with athletics club Birchfield Harriers, along with fellow heptathlete Kelly Sotherton: “I train six days per week, two times per day for up to two-and-a-half hours per session. It is my life,” she says.

Perhaps her choice of club was inspired by her sporting admiration for Denise Lewis who was a Birchfield Harrier when she won her Olympic Gold: “She was a real competitor, a beautiful woman and a beaming personality. She has it all, including the medals”, says Hazel

Hazel’s career choice hasn’t been easy and she admits she has had to sacrifice everything: “I especially miss seeing my family and friends,” she says. “I tend to plan a visit home every six weeks and as for visiting my friends it is even longer.”

Sacrifice

And her advice to anyone considering a career as a professional athlete? “Prepare to sacrifice everything for your sport. Athletes often get their priorities wrong, specific goal-setting can help you put things into perspective, making it clear for you to see what is important .”

But it’s not all work and no play, when Hazel needs to take her mind off sport it’s the everyday pleasures that help her relax, as she says: “I go clothes shopping, to the cinema, I enjoy spending time with my fellow athletes and after competitions I try to treat myself to a spa treatment.”

So what of the future? Well Hazel has set her own specific goals.

She says: “In 2010 I aim to make the top 10 at the European Championships, followed by a podium finish at the Commonwealth Games, and in 2011, I am hoping to make the top eight at the World Championships and follow it up with a top eight finish in London 2012.”