Athletics: Five minutes with Katherine Marshall

Pic is Katherine racing Angie Petty at the 2016 Potts Classic. Photo / Mark Roberts.

Raised in the Waikato, Welsh-based Katherine Marshall enjoyed a breakthrough season last year running 2:02.70 for the 800m. Here the rising Kiwi two-lap exponent shares Five Minutes with Athletics in Action.

Why and how did you start out in athletics?

My first taste of the sport came at athletic days at Ngahinapouri Primary School. Running cross country there and competing at their annual athletics days is when I first discovered I could run. I later joined the Te Awamutu Athletic Club aged ten.

What was your first significant win?

That came when taking out the 400m title at 2009 New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships in Timaru. I didn't expect to win, but I knew I had a good chance of a medal. I remember it was very windy and I had to work hard for the win. It meant so much to me because each year through high school I had worked hard, but never previously won a schools gold medal. To finally do so, was a big deal for me.

What was your first major setback?

I have never really experienced a major setback but the transition from high school to the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma was tricky. I switched events to the 400m hurdles in 2011 and 2012, but I was going backwards. It was only when my coach at the time suggested I move up to the 800m, did my career start to pick up again.

Best piece of coaching advice?

It is from my current coach, James Thie, who says not to get too caught up the times of every training session. Earlier in my career, I would worry if I was a second slower in a rep than I was in the same rep a year earlier. Yet it is important to remember it is more about the effort you put into training rather than the time.

What qualities do think every athlete needs to succeed?

To be determined and want to succeed is a massive part of it. It is also important to fully commit to the sport and although many things can get in your way it is important to stick to your plan. Yet, for me, the most important element is to enjoy the sport and have fun.

The most important thing you have learned from your time in the sport?

It is to have trust and belief in your coach and also not to rush the process, because it is always going to be a long journey.

What is the best thing about being an athlete?

The lifestyle - I love it! To do something that you love every day is a real privilege. I also get to travel the world and to share this experience with people with the same interest is awesome. My favourite place to compete at is at an annual road mile in Interlaken, Switzerland. It is the most gorgeous place I've ever been to.

If you could have a superpower what would it be and why?

It would be to time travel and to see and experience what it is like to live in a certain period of time. I've actually been watching the TV drama Victoria, so I would say I would most like to go back to the time of Queen Victoria.

What is your hidden talent?

I would say playing the accordion. My family are originally from Bohemia, which is in the modern day Czech Republic, and we are all accordion players. It is a family thing. My mum's dad introduced the Bohemian traditional music to New Zealand.

What would be your last meal?

My cousin makes a really good pumpkin fettuccine.

What is your karaoke song?

'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls. I was a huge Spice Girls fan. It was my band. If I had to be a Spice Girl, I'd be Sporty Spice.

What is your greatest indulgence?

Anything with cream - it is my weakness. I have to have full fat milk and I have cream on my porridge every morning. Living in the UK I have also really got to like clotted cream.

If you could have three dinner party guests, who would they be and why?

The former Olympic 400m champion Cathy Freeman. I remember reading her book, and I was so inspired by what she had to go through to reach the top. Bob Dylan, because he is a lyrical genius and poet and to make sure there would be some laughs at the table, I would want Jim Carrey to be there.