FTD Mag Issue 7 AG 6/8/08 10:38 Page 20
COFFEE
with gallo
A relaxing chat to one of our celebrity members over a coffee.
Gallo talks to Olympic Gold Medal winner Darren Campbell about his life,
achievements, and his long-standing conflict between football and athletics.
Q. Tell us about your early days and why you
moved to Cardiff.
A. My mum saw me running in my first school
sports day when I was 8, and decided from that
moment that I was going to be a sprinter. I
joined an athletics club and won my first serious
medal when I was about 12 or 13.
From the age of 12 I knew I wanted to go to the
Olympic Games. I watched Karl Lewis win 4 gold
medals in the ‘84 Olympics and I wanted to do
that. The dream of going to the Olympics began
then for me. When I was 13, I won Young Sports-
Person of the Year. I went to the awards
ceremony and had my first taste of success. I
knew this was for me.
At 19 I came to Cardiff to get coaching from Colin
Jackson's coach Malcolm Arnold. I knew that if I
wanted to realise my dream I had to do it; I never
looked back.
Q. What about your passion for football, you
could have made the grade as a professional
footballer?
I was at the same soccer school of excellence as
Ryan Giggs in Manchester and I could see that
what he could do with a football and what I
could do with a football were two different
things. I was only good at football because I was
fast. I've always been very realistic and I knew I
would stand a much better chance if I
concentrated on athletics.
At 16 I was playing football, basketball and doing
athletics; I made the decision to concentrate on
athletics. I'd already won several different
“
After I passed the baton I didn't watch the
athletics competitions and I soon went on to win
the European Championships at 17. I won the
end of the race, I said a prayer. Another
100m, the 200m, and I picked up Silver in the
Relay. The following year I did the World Junior
athlete tapped me on the shoulder and said Championships, I won two Silvers in the 100m
“I think you're going to win it
and 200m and Gold in the 4x1 Relay. I finally
”
”.
realised that athletics was where my true
talent lay.
Football is about opinions, athletics is about
results. In athletics I was in charge of my own
destiny.
feel the difference | 20
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