Just champion

There's a section in Sally Gunnell's biography that perfectly captures her winning mentality.

It reveals how she was able to achieve such success as an athlete, and makes clear the quality that makes her a perfect ambassador for Partners in Sport.

Arriving at the World Championships in Stuttgart in 1993, Sally was laid low by a heavy cold and had to decide whether she'd be able to compete in the 400m hurdle final.

'I felt I had so much to lose,' she says. 'I was already Olympic champion and there was that voice in my head asking 'why go out there?'.

But part of being an athlete is fighting off that self-doubt and deciding not to be a quitter.

'I realised that whatever happened, I'd pick up the pieces and get through it.'

Sally not only won the race, she set a world record and went on to become the only woman ever to have held Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic track titles at the same time.

'We all have that voice in our heads saying 'but-if',' she explains, 'but we have to learn not to listen to it.'

'Self-doubt definitely held me back during my early career, and it took years for me to understand that the more I told myself I could do something, the more I really could.

That's what I've been telling Partners – as long as you have the tools, and you put the effort in, you can do anything.'

Healthy attitude

That belief in herself, and the power of the mind to overcome obstacles, is the message Sally is now bringing to Partners across the business.

As Development Manager, Partners in Sport (PinS), Simon Wardell explains: 'Through PinS we set out to engage Partners in the spirit of London 2012.

'We saw Sally as someone who could champion the PinS message on many levels; she has given successful inspirational talks to management teams, has actively participated with Partners on cycle and running challenges and given support to Partners on their health and fitness.'

'Partners have really warmed to Sally's open, straight-talking approach,' he continues, 'whether in discussions around how she achieved a world class performance or just how to shed a few pounds in weight!'

She's certainly been travelling the country since her appointment this summer; the work she has done includes taking part in a sponsored bike ride round the Isle of Wight with John Lewis Southampton and Knight & Lee Partners, opening the new fitness centre at Waitrose's RDC in Aylesford in Kent, competing in the John Lewis Oxford Street sports day and finishing a sponsored run around Bluewater's car park.

'It was clear straight away that Partners in Sport is a natural fit with what I do,' she says. 'It's all about giving people opportunities to achieve in sport, and it links neatly with my interest in health and wellbeing,' she explains.

'It's also about working as part of a team, stretching yourself and doing things you normally wouldn't – it's been a pleasure watching more and more Partners get involved.'

She's also been impressed with Partners' enthusiasm. 'There's a real willingness to listen and to make changes. Partners are committed not just to PinS but to the business as a whole.

'They want to make the most of the scheme to change their lives, and they've taken on the message that improving fitness also improves performance at work and in your home life. Getting the best out of yourself is what PinS is all about.'

After all this activity, it's lucky she keeps very fit. 'I still run and cycle and use the gym – I just try to fit in whatever training I can,' she says.

'It keeps me sane, really, and I think it helps me in everything else I do: being a mum as well as being at work. Of course there are days when I really feel like I can't be bothered – but I always feel better once I've got out there.'

Catching the buzz

Sitting with Sally in John Lewis Stratford City – where she's just been giving a motivational talk to the Leadership Team – and looking across the site of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, it's hard not to feel that buzz.

'For me, the excitement is tangible,' Sally agrees. 'I visit all kinds of places and people across the UK and, while it's easy to feel that everything's a bit doom and gloom at the moment, the Games feel like a moment for real optimism. People can see the event starting to take shape.'

Sally is herself part of the British Olympic Authority (BOA) team, working to promote the 2012 Games and supporting Team GB in the run-up to the opening events. And she can recall with great clarity the sheer excitement of her first experience of an Olympic Games.

'I was completely blown away by it all,' she remembers, 'and I vowed to be at every Games from then on. Having them in London is such a fantastic opportunity: my parents' farm is just six miles away so I plan on basing myself there, and living and breathing the whole event. I might even bring a sleeping bag in to John Lewis Stratford City if they'll let me!'