Interview

Interview took place in December 2005

It was a memorable 2007 championships for Anna Hemmings as she retained her World Champion title in the women’s K1. It was Anna’s sixth World Championship title, five of which have been in K1. Her win this year was extremely close with seven countries all close to the finish line but it was Anna who surged forward determined to grab gold in a time of 1.55.59! Defending her title as World Champion is a fantastic accomplishment for the 30-year-old from Surrey who made a dramatic comeback to the sport two years ago after taking time off and bravely overcoming Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Here we recount an interview taken in December 2005 after Anna had retained her world title after recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

First of all, congratulations on your World Championship victory. Is this your most satisfying victory?
This victory is definitely sweeter because of what happened over the last two years. I climbed a larger, more arduous mountain in order to win this world title and therefore it gives me a huge amount of satisfaction. It's also great to prove all of my doubters wrong!

Who inspired you to get started in the sport?
My mum picked up a leaflet about a week long course learning how to canoe at Elmbridge Canoe Club in the summer of 1985. Together with my brother I did the course and loved it.

At what age did you start kayaking and how many hours a week training is there for you to do?
I started canoeing when I was 8 and half years old. When I started I used to go 2-3 times a week. But now it is obviously very different and I train between 10-14 times a week, which is about 15 hours a week.

Is there another sport in which you excel or would like to?
As a child I used to do a variety of different sports; when I was at school I competed at county, regional and national level in athletics, hockey and judo as well as canoeing. I would love to have excelled in running; I did a lot of cross country and 800m on the track, representing Surrey at the national championships.

What do you do to relax when not training or competing?
I enjoy reading, going to the cinema and hanging out with my friends.

What is the best aspect of kayaking?
There are a number of great aspects; I love going fast, propelling my boat through the water as fast as I can. I love the buzz I get from training and I love the adrenaline I get from competing. In addition to that, the particular part of the River Thames that I train on (in Weybridge, Surrey) is beautiful and on a lovely morning, when the water is like glass, there is no wind and the sun is shining, it’s the most tranquil place to be.

What is your favourite meal when training?
I make a fantastic risotto which I eat regularly!

How can we facilitate more young people and girls in particular to get involved in canoeing/kayaking?
Increasing the profile of the sport will help to generate more interest in our sport in general. Being involved in a water sport such as ours during the summer time is so much fun for kids; promoting these positive aspects of the sport would encourage more youngsters. There are so many different sports available to children; we need to get them involved in canoeing before they are drawn across to other sports; recruiting from schools helps.

What were the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and is it an illness that can attack anyone or a side-effect of over-training?
It is an illness that can affect anyone, young or old, sporty or not. There are a quarter of a million sufferers in the UK alone. It has nothing to do with exercise and is not induced by over-training. My symptoms included general exhaustion, fatigue after very light exercise – I went from racing two and a half hour marathons in a kayak, at world level to being fatigued after 20 minutes of light paddling – the equivalent of a brisk walk! The muscles in my body ached, to the degree where it became painful. In fact my muscles ached so much that I had to stop and rest mid-way through washing my hair because my arms ached too much to hold them up for too long. In the beginning I slept loads – 13-14 hours a night and then later on there were periods when I suffered insomnia. And those were just the physical symptoms; the emotional battle was something else.

What exactly is the ‘Reverse Therapy’ treatment you received for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Reverse therapy is a proven medical principle, an innovative treatment aimed at addressing the cause of the illness instead of just learning to cope with symptoms. Sufferers of CFS or ME have what is known as hypothalamitus - there is a gland in the brain, called the hypothalamus that controls all of the bodily function ie nervous system, immune system, hormones, endocrine system etc and it becomes overactive. When it is overactive, it produces the symptoms that lead to this miserable condition. There are a variety of triggers that cause it to become overactive. It has been discovered that symptoms can appear as distress signals to indicate that the balance between personal needs and external pressures has been lost. Reverse therapy helps people work out what it is the body wants them to do to restore the balance and abolish the body’s need to create symptoms. The therapy, which is being launched worldwide this year, is becoming more widely appreciated in the medical profession as cases like my own become increasingly common.

Was there ever a time when you thought you couldn’t compete again?
I tried a variety of different treatments for the illness and in that process I came across a medical expert who told me that I should retire from the sport because “my body had had enough!” I refused to listen to that advice. Because I was burdened by it for so long, I did become scared that I wouldn’t find a way out, but I never gave up hope that I would recover and return to the sport that I am passionate about.

What sparked your recovery?
A Pindar employee (my sponsors) introduced me to Reverse therapy in September 2004 and it is this treatment that enabled me to recover from the illness. Had I not discovered this treatment I would still be searching for a solution. I couldn’t have made a full recovery without the support of my family, friends and my sponsors Pindar.

Where do you train and did limited access agreements hinder your preparation?
I train at Elmbridge Canoe Club and I am lucky to train on the River Thames where we have no trouble with water access. I know that not everyone is blessed with such opportunities.

How did you prepare for the World Champs in Australia?
Under the guidance of my coach Roland Lawler, I started proper training in March of this year and slowly built up my training. Part of my preparation included doing the local and national marathon races. Leading up to the event we arrived in Perth, Australia 12 days before the start of the event, in order to overcome the jetlag and acclimatise. Those final days were just fine tuning, all the hard work had already been done.

What are your goals for the foreseeable future?
I intend to defend my world title at the Marathon Racing World Championships next year; however my main focus over the next three years will be sprint racing. My goal is to fulfil my potential in sprint racing at world level.

Do you still hold any Olympic ambitions?
Like many athletes, my ambition is win to medals at the Olympic Games.

Who are your sporting heroes?
Lance Armstrong. His autobiography is the most inspirational and gripping book I have ever read. To win the Tour De France seven times is incredible and to do it after recovering from cancer the way that he did is just amazing.