Fortunately Yorkshire Comprehensive schools had a great school music programme at the time and I was given a school French Horn on loan and free music lessons. What I talk about in the book is how I think I learnt everything I needed to know to get to be an Olympian, apart from the actual sport, from music rather than sport at school. While all the sporty kids were doing sport I was doing music with the same dedication. I’d get up early every morning to do my French horn and piano practice, I had rehearsals most lunch times and every day after school, I’d get up again on Saturday to play in Area Orchestras and played at Country level in the holidays. I learnt how to hold my own line at the same time as blending with a team, and dealing with the sickening nerves of playing a solo really wasn’t that different from lining up for an Olympic final. By the time I finally found rowing I already had all that going for me. I couldn’t believe it when people just didn’t turn up for training. One of the most important things I learnt at school was the importance of turning up. You can’t achieve anything if you don’t turn up.

—Olympian Alison Mowbray

RTWT