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By Paula Planelles Manzanaro
Keri-Anne Payne, the twice World 10 km open water champion and Olympic silver medalist, has been selected as the image of Links of London, the official jewellery designer for the London 2012 Olympic Games. The initiative aims to be a symbol of the support towards the British competitors such as the swimmer, who is training hard to do her best in the world’s most important sports event. Her professional aim: the Games. Her personal project: her wedding. Keri-Anne Payne has devoted her whole life to swimming. When she was just four years old, born in South Arica of British parents, she had her first contact with the pool and, since then, she has continued striving to reach the zenith of her sport. The first milestone was at the age of eight, when the British Swimming’s national performance director, Bill Sweetenham, identified Payne's talent.
Nobody knew by then that a few years later, in 2002, the sportswoman would break the British record at 800m freestyle at the junior category. By contrast, 2006 was not a good year for Kari-Anne, as she failed to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games. “That was my biggest disappointment. I had changed my training before the competition and I realized that changing it was not a good idea”, she told The London Daily News. But after making a step back she made a big step forward. “I learned a lot from that experience. Now I’m mentally stronger because I’ve been working a lot more in psychology. It was disappointing but I am glad that it happened because it led me to the person that I am today”, she added.
Just two years later, at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, Keri-Ann would represent Great Britain in the 200m and 400m race and in the 10km open water, winning silver medal, which was “the most important achievement in my career”.
Now, the London 2012 Olympic Games are getting closer and the swimmer wants to get ready for the race. Two sessions every day, combining her training in the swimming-pool with two hours of gym, yoga and injury prevention techniques are the main part of her daily training for the Games. A well-balanced diet and sessions with her psychologist are also essential for a good performance in the event. Sacrifice is the key for her success. “We train so hard. I have to control my diet, I get up really early. I have to go to bed early. I miss family parties. Sometimes it’s difficult but my family understands it because they know that I need to do that. It is worth”, Keri-Ann explained.
In an interview with The London Daily News, the secret to be the best is “99 per cent hard work and 1 per cent talent or ability”. The sportswoman also asserts that it is important to enjoy the sport and to know how your body works. “I feel very nervous before a competition. At the beginning I used to think that nerves were not good. But now I know that my body needs the adrenaline. It is good for me to get ready for the race”, she stated.
The race is getting closer and Keri-Anne Payne is focusing on her work to do her best performance in the event. However, the swimmer confesses that she does not want to think too much about the event. “I’m very excited about the Olympics but I don’t want to get too nervous. My confidence is going to come from the training. We still have four more months of really intensive work, which will give me more self-confidence”, she said.
With less than 200 days, the swimmer will show the result of her perseverance, with the capital as the scenario of the decisive race. Kari-Anne Payne being looking forward to the event, her next professional project. Payne is also preparing for another personal milestone her wedding with the Scottish swimmer David Carry in September. Love linked by swimming.
Keri-Anne Payne is an ambassador for Links of London who are the official jewellery designers for London 2012. The Team GB Band is available in Links of London stores and at www.linksoflondon.com
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