Just As Well, The Women's Health Podcast - Alex Scott on The Power of Sport, Lockdown Lessons and Finding Solace in Therapy

Episode Date: October 15, 2020

First of all, we're sending a massive virtual hug to everyone who’s been affected by the latest restrictions in the UK. It’s been a tense week - more so for some than others - and we hope you’re doing what you can to look after yourselves. If you’re running low on inspiration, we reckon today’s guest, Alex Scott - England footballing star turned pundit, sports broadcaster (and 2019 Strictly alumnus) is well-equipped to help you. Since being scouted at the age of eight while playing football near her London council estate, her life as a pro-athlete was defined by how fit, strong and athletic she was. But now, by her own admission, she ‘uses fitness for fun’ - and the joy she clearly finds in it is truly infectious. In this episode she chats to WH Editor-in-Chief Claire Sanderson about the lessons she’s learned in her long career, as well as the strengths that sport and exercise equips girls and women with on and off the pitch. She also opens up about her mental health, therapy, living alone during lockdown - and what her next big career goal looks like.  Follow Alex Scott on Instagram: @alexscott2 Follow Claire Sanderson on Instagram: @clairesanderson Follow Women's Health on Instagram: @womenshealthuk Topics: Alex Scott's lockdown fitness routine How therapy can help protect mental health What it's like being a celebrity contestant on Strictly What goes into being a successful pro footballer The challenges of working in a male-dominated space Like what you’re hearing? We'd love if you could rate and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, as it really helps other people find the show. Also, remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, so you’ll never miss an episode.  Got a goal in mind? Shoot us a message on Instagram putting ‘Going for Goal’ at the start of your message and our experts could be helping you achieve your health goal in an upcoming episode. Alternatively, you can email us: [e-mail]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello everybody, you are listening to Going for Goal, the weekly Women's Health podcast. My name is Rochene Dovershoyne. I'm senior editor on women's health, and this is your weekly chance to plug in and be inspired to work on your health and wellness. First of all, just to say that we are sending a massive virtual hug to everyone who's affected by the latest restrictions in parts of the UK. It's been a tense week, of course, more so for some than others. And as ever, we've been. We hope you're doing what you can to look after yourselves. If you're running low on inspiration, I reckon today's guest,

pro footballer turned pundit, sports broadcaster and 2019 strictly alumnus, Alex Scott is well equipped to offer some inspiration. Since being scouted at the age of eight playing football on a London councillor state, her life was defined by fitness for many years. But now, by her own admission, she is someone who uses fitness for fun, and the joy she finds in it is truly infectious. In this episode, she chats to women's health editor-in-chief Claire Sanderson, who's a big sports fan, but rugby more than football,

all about the lessons she's learned in her long career, the strengths that sport and exercise equips girls with on and off the pitch, and how she's altered her fitness during the pandemic. She also opens up about her mental health, therapy, slowing down, and how she came to realise that for her. The pressure of her job really, really. is a privilege. Enjoy. Hello everyone. My name is Claire Sanderson and I am the editor in Chief of Women's Health. Thank you so much for listening to Going for Gold today. And I am joined by a very

prestigious guest. She is one of the UK's leading sportswomen. She's a former professional footballer, a TV presenter and a strictly star. She is none other than Alex Scott. Soon you say strictly, I want to start dancing. Look, my shoulders were going. Well, we've got to talk about strictly because it's my favourite show. But you know what, Alex, I don't think that intro actually did you justice because I've been doing a bit of research for this podcast. And I was simply blown away by some of the stats that I'd read. So you are an Olympian.

You went to the Olympics in 2012. You are an MBE, which you were awarded in 2017. You were an Arsenal legend. and that phrase was used considerably when I was doing my research. You have 140 caps for England as a right back. You were the first female pendant that the BBC took to the World Cup. I mean, I'm going to keep on going here. And you were the first Sky Sports Super Sunday female pundit.

I mean, there's a lot of firsts there. Yeah. And I'm sitting here with a big smile on my face, because to be honest, I still pinch myself and I still, I don't know, I'm sort of that person. People read off all the achievements and I'm just like, wow, like, I don't know, like from when I started playing football, the dream was always to play for England or play for Arsenal. I didn't sit out to be, oh, I want to be the first, how you said for BBC or the first for Sky Sports. I'm just someone that's been so passionate about everything I do.

and then all the accolades and everything has just come with it. It is remarkable roster of achievements for a young girl who was just playing football in a cage. That's what I read. You'll have to explain what that means. And with your friends or your siblings, you can clarify for me, when you were eight in London and you were scouted for Arsenal. Yeah, that football cage is still there actually in the east end of London. I grew up on a council estate, and that football pitch was basically an escape.

It was the only thing that was there for everyone in the neighbourhood to come together. I used to go there with my brother and the other boys and play football. And then some guy, he had connections with Arsenal. He saw me playing. And he was like, you know that Arsenal have a women's team. Alex, you should really go down there. And I was like, no, I'm not interested. I want to stay in the football cage.

This is where all my hopes and dreams have started. this is where I want to stay. And he was like, no, no, I'm going to take you down there. And he did. And yeah, I never looked back. Arsenal signed me straight away. And basically it became my family. So were you even aware that there was such a thing as elite women's football at that time?

No. There was nothing on TV. You didn't hear about women's football. It was only kind of overseas in America that you heard about Mia Hamm, this striker, where's number nine? And she was held as this hero. but it seems so far away and so distant that I was just used to playing with boys in the neighbourhood

and didn't think anything of it. So were you an Arsenal family then? Were you an Arsenal fan even at that age? No. To be honest, I wasn't connected with a football team. I was just playing in that football cage and dreaming of playing at Wembley and then Arsenal signed me

and like I said it became my family. So yeah, then I supported the club by I grew up there and people that still work there today. It's like they've been on my journey with me and I never forget that. They've seen me gone from that young girl into a woman, a professional footballer, now into broadcasting as well. I read that you are extremely grateful to your mum who works around the clock and on multiple jobs to bring you and your siblings up. And she never waived in her support in your ambition to be a professional footballer,

even when some of her friends were saying things like, oh, she'd grow out of it. and there maybe wasn't a, you know, a future in women's professional football at that time was still a dream, maybe not so much of a reality, but your mum was a constant support of yours. Yeah, Claire, you just said exactly the words that her friends, they used to laugh at her because I used to be this little girl wanting to play football, but there was no, you couldn't make money from it. There were no professional teams or even semi-professional there. So she really could have pushed me on to another path. and it was like Alex, she really needed to like consider something else. But she just saw what it gave me, this freedom, this escape. And she could see it was actually in the sport environment giving me a different confidence.

You know, like how I said how I grew up on that council estate. And without sport or without that determination to be a footballer, I could have easily taken another path in life. So I think she saw that actually she needs this. She needs that concentration, that discipline that it was given me. And I'm so thankful for her because when I look back as well, well, some of the World Cups and how you said the Olympics, my mom wasn't able to come to every single game because how you said she was working. And I knew she had to do that to enable me to get to

where I am today. And I'm so grateful for that. What you've said then is it's so important about sport and children because it teaches them so much more than just athletic ability. It's management skills, its focus. And it's keeping them on the straight and narrow, especially these city kids like yourself. And it is so sad that sporting environments have been sold off for housing developments, etc. And I know you do a lot of work with kids now to maintain for the future generations. Yeah. And it's a really big passion of mine to continue to do that because like I said, I know how much it gave me. I never thought that I'd be able to travel the world or see the things or it's a different education totally when you learn from different people,

from cultures, and I got that all from sport. And I would never, like, I still pinch myself every day that I've gone on to see the things that I have. And it's actually, it gives you the confidence. One, because you're surrounded by other people, the discipline, like you said, and actually different forms of leadership and that self-discipline. Sport has so many life skills that I don't think we talk about enough that that's why it's so important.

And we're not talking about getting into sport that everyone needs to be an elite athlete, but it's those skills that it gives you. You can take into any work environment. Absolutely, it's the confidence. My son loves sport. He's an able sportsman. You know, whatever ball he picks up or kicks, he seems to be quite skilled at.

But I wouldn't say he's the most confident child, but I've seen him flourish in team sports, and I can now see him taking that into school, and he's only eight, and hopefully he'll take it into life. And there's also the issue of childhood obesity as well, and there's been research that if children, do sport when they're a child, they're much more likely to take that into adulthood and live healthier longer lives. Yeah, because even say this morning, I got up and I went for a run and I'm

not running to beat a time or anything, but like it's that feeling it gives me. It's like that start for the day, the energy, the endorphins that it lets off. There's so many benefits that I don't think we touch on. No, the mental health benefits, especially now at this time when we're all having our mental health challenged by the extraordinary circumstances we're finding ourselves in at the moment. Yeah, Claire, that hour in lockdown at the start was everything for me for my mental health. I think if I didn't have that, that was my to get out and sometimes not even go on a run. Sometimes I think we package sport or running or exercise. It's like you have to have that feeling of your hands on your hips and you're over and

that feeling of it's such hard work. but then I found actually in lockdown, just being able to get out and go for a walk, which is also a form of exercise, to clear my head and just think and be outside, was so important for me. Absolutely. And so what was your lockdown experience? When I look back, I think we went through different stages. I feel like there's different chapters.

So the first stage was, yeah, running because we had nice weather. But I actually have a lot of injuries through football on my ankles. So I can't actually do a lot of pounding. And then I was like, oh, no, what am I going to do? But then I said going on walks I really loved. And then the biggest gift of all, I got sent a peloton, which I absolutely fell in love with cycling. Yeah, I've got one.

I'm obsessed. I literally become obsessed. I was doing classes every single day. It's like I joined this new community and the feeling it was given me. I can't speak highly enough of it. And I was, because in the last two years of my footballing career, I used to have to spend a lot of time on the bike. to do my fitness instead of doing the running outside.

So I hated it. So the thought of getting on a bike and doing exercise, I was like, no, I don't want to do this. But then I got the Peloton. I love it. It's just like the live classes, the fun element. And you do. If you want to be competitive, you have that side as well.

So it's great. I love it. So go on then who's your favourite instructor? Oh, I would go between Robin and Ali. I love. My two favorites. Really? genuinely I wrote on my Instagram this morning.

Yeah, Robin and Ali, definitely. And I do the strength classes as well. But it just, yeah, I love the peloton. I've really got into home workouts, actually. And even though I've worked out in gyms, all my adult life, I used to do triathlons, a competitive rowy. I've always trained. But there's something quite lovely about working out from home, isn't they?

And not having the stress of traveling to the gym and just doing it in your garden on a day like that. today if you can be lucky enough to have one. Yeah, and I think a lot of people found that. Obviously, I think with Joe Wicks, I think won't people up to just see, you can have half hour of a hit class, or actually it can be fun and you don't need a big space.

You don't need a gym membership. There's different ways to do it, but it's just getting moving and being active that can give you so many benefits. So what does training look like for you? Because obviously you were an elite athlete, so I imagine what training looked like then is completely different. to what it does now. Claire is so different. I think because I went from signing at eight and just having

this routine, and you do. You're basically, when you're an elite athlete, I describe it. Sometimes you are like a robot because you know you have to get up, train, you have to eat, you have to sleep and you are just programmed to do everything you can. So soon as I retired, I said to myself, actually, I'm not going to tell myself I need to work out. I'm actually going to do the opposite. I'm going to listen to my body a bit more. So there would be days where I'd wake up and actually I don't want to do exercise. But then the next day I knew I had this feeling, I want to get up and run. So I actually loved my first year of dipping in and out of that.

I think now I would say I have more of a structure. I have a love of running. I love the feeling it gives me. So I would say I do a lot of running in the week, some strength training and my peloton. But I'm not that person that every day I must do something and punish myself for it. I'm kind of, I would say I've got a balance now. And how about your nutrition? Because I imagine that was quite, well, very monitored when you were a professional athlete.

Are there any particular eating methods that you follow now, or is it all intuitive? I think because I was that elite athlete, I love good food. So I don't really eat junk food. Now and again, I'll let myself go. But most of the time, I crave good food. In lockdown, I'm going to sound so boring right now. But I got this thing. I love cooking soups.

So every time I would try cooking new suits. I don't know if it's because I was on my own at home. So I didn't want to keep cooking big meals. So I found my go-to was trying all these different suits. So what was your favourite soup? I do love butternut squash. It sounds so plain and boring, but it is definitely my go-to. So are you vegetarian or vegan or you just happen to love buttermed squash?

Yeah, just happened to love it. I remember going on the one show every time I was with Alex Jones. She's like, go on there now. What new soup have you cooked? But at least it wasn't banana bread. Everyone else was baking banana bread. Yeah. I wasn't, by the way. I did it. I'm sticking to my suit. So if I can talk about your career after football, as I mentioned, you are a pioneer of being a female football pendant. I actually read that Ian Wright, who I imagines, a hero of yours, said that you are one of the

best prepared pundits out there. I mean, that must be quite remarkable to hear someone of his iconic status saying that about you. Yeah, and I think going into that environment, for me, I'm always in competition with myself. It's not I want to sit alongside one, somebody and be better than them or show them like, oh, I should be here. I, for me, even as a footballer, it was like, I want to be the best I can be, the best version of myself. And then so I think those skills have gone with me into broadcast. And so for me, when people say, well, why are you so prepared? You should know it. But it's any job. In any job that I do, I want to be the best. So of course I want to be prepared going on to live TV and to hear

like Ian Wright, who I am super close with, come out and say those sorts of things. Actually, I love that because it shows that I'm taking my job very serious. So what sort of preparation would go in to being a football pundit for a match? Football pundit, presenter, the same thing, doing your research on who you're talking about, your guests that are coming on. For me, I always want to give different insights. So I can sit there and I can roll off stats that whether it's a female player or a male player that they should have passed the ball here or there. But actually, I want to show more about their human side. And they're the stories that I want to share because I feel like there's more to athletes

sometimes that we don't talk about. So the profession that you've chosen, football and a TV presenter in the football arena. We'll talk about struggling. We'll come onto that in a second. But I'm talking about the football world at the moment. It is very male-dominated. What challenges have you had to overcome to be successful and to be taken seriously within what is generally a profession

that is very male-focused? I think for me it has been changing perceptions. So to be that female and only the female when I turn up to even, I need longer to get ready than a male on screen. And it's been asking those questions, well, actually I need a changing room. Actually, I might need half hour where going on screen, the guy only needs five minutes. So it's trying to change people's perceptions and actually at home as well, normalising it, but actually I can sit there on a panel with three guys, but I know what I'm talking about.

I've played football since I was eight and I can give my opinions. And I absolutely love when people come up to me in the street and it's not just young girls watching me, it's young boys. And they love seeing me and talking about football because that's where we're going to change perceptions and change just how normal it is

that anyone can sit there and do that job. Absolutely. So you've got a generation of young men who are coming through who will not even question why there is a woman. in a line up of three men. No, one day hope. It might be three women and one men.

So you said when you were taken to the World Cup, we're not here to tick boxes. We are here as women to show off our skills, our knowledge. And that whole tick boxes phrase is sort of come into play recently with the allegations of racism within soccer, Saturday that three presenters were sacked. Matt Lettissier, Phil Thompson, Charlie Nicholas, and some people were saying they were sacked because they're white middle-aged men and they're making way for black presenters. And your name was brought into that. And I know

Ian Wright came out in your defence. But is that something you've experienced before? The only thing when I was actually thinking on my running this morning, I was thinking about it. Because I feel that going forward right now, at this moment in time, every job that I am linked to or every job that I'm going to be doing on screen for the next couple of years, I know the first thing people will be saying a lot of it because it's already happening, like how you said, it's because I'm ticking a box. And I was thinking about it today. I came back from playing professional in America in 2012 just before the London Olympics. I was already thinking about my career after sport then. I went and I did a media degree in 2013. So I spent two years doing that for the same reason.

So no one could ever just say that I was ticking a box. So what, that was in 2013. But people see me all of a sudden on screen and think, oh, she's just been put there. Actually, I've worked so hard. I think it was Bill Gates, a quote that he says, is actually an overnight success as a result of hard work. It's never overnight success.

And I've put in, I remember running from the training field to get to a studio to just sit there and be around people that I could learn off different presenters. I was working on Arsenal TV. I've been at the BBC now for four years. So actually, it's reminding myself that, no, I've worked hard to be where I am. And, yeah, I shouldn't have to explain to people that you think I'm ticking a business. box but I've worked so hard to get to where I am and I'm not going to let those people with those perceptions stop me just because of what they may think is, oh, we need change in the world and this is the only reason Alex is there, absolutely not. I must say there was an awful lot of support

for you on Twitter as well when that storm kicked off. Yeah, again, a lot of people saying that you one of the best prepared pandits out there, male or female, just panditry. So, and you always are going to have those negative few who, you know, the keyboard warriors who a lot of is born out of jealousy as well and lack of education. There's been a lot recently with the Black Lives Matter movement. Is racism something you've experienced growing up in London? Yes, it has. And I think also for me, it's been finding a way to learn more even myself. For me, I'm never someone who points fingers. I always look inwards first. So when I think about me growing up, my mom was a single parent. She's white. And I think she did a lot to try and protect us, but protect us in a way is not speaking about it.

So she would experience that because, oh my gosh, she's a single white woman with two black kids. And she got a lot of racism towards her growing up. But it was always kind of to protect us. So actually, me growing up when I would experience things, it was to hide it. And I think at the moment, what we're shining a light on with racism, with mental health, is that we need to be having conversations. It needs to be at the forefront of everything that we're talking about to make change happen and the way actually it's perceived in the world. And you are doing your bit by being a prominent black female on TV,

setting an example, normalising women in football. And I imagine your mum's very proud of you. Yeah, she's like, I just went shy thinking about that. Yeah, I don't know because I think my mum's always instilled values and just hard work and being kind and loving. And so no matter what environment that I am, I'm in, like I would never change who I am. I'm just someone that works hard and loves what she does.

I think when I look back at my career from a footballer, I've gone from something that started as a passion, it turned into a profession, which then quickly I'm. knew it was my purpose. I know that people were looking up to me. I know that they see me and think there's a pathway for them now and I absolutely love that. Do you think your drive comes from your mum then, who sounds like a remarkably hardworking, caring, wonderful mother? Yeah, it really does. Just everything that she's done in her life, if I can just go on to be a little bit of what she is. She's just a lovely human being that will do anything for anyone. So yeah, she's, yeah, I get it for a my mother. Well, we all need strong women around us. Women need to support women. Yeah, and I love that.

There's space for us all. I think we went through a time where it was like you were always in competition with another woman that you're alongside. No, we should celebrate strong, independent women that want to do well and that are successful. I think we need to change that mentality because there's room for us all. Absolutely. On the mornings when you, you wake up and you don't have the motivation and the drive to to smash your day in true Alex Scott style. What reserves do you dig into? Do you have any rituals that you adopt? I actually learn in lockdown that sometimes it's okay to have those days and not feel guilty about it because I am always that person, I'm 100 miles per hour. I don't know how to stop.

I do one thing. I'm like, well, what next? I need to accomplish something else. I need to learn Spanish. I need to learn my guitar. But actually in those days, you actually learn a lot about yourself sometimes. It's just taking a moment to reflex, recharge and just be able to go again. So I think in those moments, don't punish yourself, it's okay. But as long as you think then the next day, okay, I'm going to snap out of it. I'm going to go again. So you've mentioned your mental health. And I've read that you have had therapy. Is it still ongoing? And ask some of the rituals and resources that you just described, things that you learned in therapy?

Yeah, it's from things. I have to say, my going to therapy and learning from therapy, it's like an awakening. I absolutely love it. And I think some people think, oh, going to therapy, why am I going to have someone tell me about myself? I know about myself. But it's actually, it's like a weight off my shoulders every single time I go.

And sometimes I'm going up, I have nothing to say this week. Why would I even go? And then I spend a whole hour. of just purely in everything out and it's just like this relief. But I would say, yeah, I've learned a lot about myself going to therapy from childhood behaviours to how I am in certain environments. It's given me different kind of tools to deal with things. And I'm still evolving and growing as a human being as a result of therapy.

And why did you choose to have therapy in the first place? I think a lot when I first went into media the first year, I was taking a lot on social media of trolling and it became too much for me. It got to a place, I think two years ago over Christmas where I was kind of losing myself. I didn't want to speak to any of my family and friends because I didn't want to put my burden onto them. And I just felt in a place where I was very lonely and dealing with all this stuff that was very heavy. And it got to a stage where I thought, I need to do something.

I need to talk to someone. So yeah, I found through, it was actually, it's called sport. in chance, their clinic and they've helped people like Tony Adams with his drink problem, a lot of sports people go there. And so for me, it was kind of an awakening night. I absolutely love it. And you still go in now on a regular basis? Yeah, well, obviously lockdown has changed that. And then how busy I was with strictly, but I'm always checking in and going, yeah. But that's the thing. I think some people think, oh, you need to be going all the time. Actually, it can be spaced out. it needs to what fits for you.

So you mentioned Strictly, we have to talk about it. Regular listeners to this, I will know that I am a massive Strictly fan, so I can't wait for it to start again. I've been a fan for 10 years. So tell me all about the Strictly experience. I'm so jealous. Okay, you know, even looking back at that,

because in football, it was the one show, all my teammates would tell you that Strictly was my dream. I love music, I love dance, I was the team DJ and I always used to say, imagine if one day, if one show, please, I would just love to get on Strictly. So for me, what you saw last year with that smile on my face every single episode was the girl that always dream to be on Strictly but never thought it would ever happen and then it did. So I've spoken to a lot of contestants and professional dancers and they all say that it is the most

hard work they've ever done in their life physically. Was it harder than being a professional softball or all the training you had to do? Completely different, but I'm still, like, I'm smiling because I love hard work anyway. But it was the first thing from since retiring, from being an athlete that gave me that kind of routine again of training. I would wake up. I'd meet Neil at 9 o'clock every morning. Sometimes I wouldn't get home until 9 o'clock at night. But I loved it because I knew it was on me.

If I didn't put those hours in, our company. come to a Saturday, I could only blame myself because it was me that didn't put the hours in or train hard or like want to learn. So yeah. So what made you more nervous? That live dance on a Saturday or running out for England? That first show definitely doing strictly. Do you know what? My mindset then flipped though because everyone speaks about the episode with Kevin when Neil got injured and then I had Kevin who only learnt the dance 40 minutes. Like how did I cope, how did I deal with that? I think because my mindset on things in those precious situations are always to embrace it. So every week on Strictly, I had a mindset of, well, if this is my last

dance, I need to just go out there and enjoy it. Like, I would never want to look back and think, oh, I wish I wasn't nervous. I wish I would have loosened up a bit more. So every Saturday, I was like, well, this could be the last, just go and have fun, Alex. I've been to the Strictly studio. I went to watch Gemma Atkinson as a guest of hers. And what I was really surprised at was it's actually smaller than you realised on TV. And as an audience, you're sat basically on top of the dancers doing their dance. The dancers come perilously close to the studio audience. And the pressure, my heart was pounding even just watching it in the audience.

And I just don't think I could do it. I don't think I could walk down that stairs. I remember I had two of my teammates. They came for week four when I did my Charleston. And my Charleston, I just loved it. I felt I was in my groove and everything. They said afterwards, Alex, we have never been so nervous in our life for watching you. And I was like, why?

I was having a great time. It was just like, we didn't actually like enjoy that moment because we were just so nervous for you. I know. I can imagine. I can imagine. Well, your career has been so illustrious. If you were to look back as they'd be in a highlight. I feel so lucky there's been a few in terms of what I've gone on to achieve in my football career.

So even in TV now, like I'm not just boxed into sport. The fact that I presented sport relief or been on strictly that I get to sit on the one show with Alex Jones and do all these different things, I think I'm just a person in life that I just, every day I like learning something new. whether that's reading or meeting people, having conversations. Like, I don't know, I feel like I am really just a positive person and my outlook on life. I just feel like I'm so lucky to come from an area which I did and I've got to see so many things in the world.

So is the media the way forward for your career or is there any chance you might follow other former professional footballers like Frank Lampard, we've gone into management? Never say never. Actually, Frank was the one that said to me, Alex, you think you won't get into management now, but you might get a bug for it and you'll come back into it. But for me, I can't see it happening just yet.

I absolutely love what I do. Well, when I see football managers on the sidelines, they literally look like they're about to explode from the pressure. So I'm not sure I'd want that responsibility on my head. Do you know, my favourite quote is Billy Dean King, pressure is privileged from a tennis player. And I absolutely love that because, I don't know, sometimes we see pressure as a negative.

like, oh, it's too much. What if this happens? What if I don't do that? But actually, you've worked so hard in no matter what environment, whether it's a sporting environment, in a work environment, you've worked hard to get to that position. So then when you do get it, embrace it, own that moment because why you don't know if you are going to get it again? Or actually, that's the moment people want you in it. So yeah, I absolutely love that quote from her. So what would be your dream job? That is, for me, this is such a hard one. I'm still like been on this journey the last couple of years. years. I think trying to find what I love in what kind of role, whether that's the one show, whether that's presenting something in sport. Sport will always be there for me. Sports, my bread and butter, my passion and what I love. I don't know. I think when I look at my career in a couple years' time, I would love to get to a position how I view Gabby or Claire or Sue Barker. They are so well respected in their field, ultimate professionals and how they are. And I've I've learned so much being alongside most of them actually. Gabby, I've spent a lot of time. So if people see me as they see them, well respected in their field, then I'd be like, okay, I'm doing all right.

And alongside your sporting achievements and your sporting ambitions, I've read that you would like to have a family one day. Yeah. And I know that you were considering freezing your eggs. Is that something that you're still looking into? Yeah, and my friends tell me more and more that I need to do it. Then Alex, you are getting older and they know that I want kids. And I'm like, yeah, but I'm still doing so much in my life. But yeah, we will see. I think I do need to think about it because my birthday is coming up soon, another year older. And then some of my friends have frozen their eggs.

So I think it's always been the conversation around it. So yeah, I do. And for me, I love working with kids. I'm so passionate about helping kids from whatever. area go on to achieve and know there's opportunities for them. So I do definitely, I don't know how many, maybe one or two, where see? Two is enough. I've got two. Don't have more than two. They outnumber you then if you've got, no, no, don't have more than two. Well, Alex, the name of this podcast is going for goal. So what is your ultimate goal for 2021?

2021 my ultimate goal. I think for me it is to be more in an established role, presenting and how I said, how I view people like Gabby Logan, Clairebourne and Sue Bartha. If people can see if I can just get into their mold one day in that field, then yeah, that's my ultimate goal that I've worked hard and yeah, I'm at their level because I just think they're amazing women. And they're flying the flag, certainly with Subarca and Clearball in the slag. older women as well that need more more presence on TV. So I think they're absolutely

wonderful role models to look up to. But I would argue, Alex, that you're not far off now. You are an inspiration to many young girls and young women and young boys and just keep continue what you're doing and good luck for everything. And thank you so much for joining me today. I'm going for goals. Thank you for having me on. Thank you. Thank you. Bye-bye. Bye. Thank you very much for listening, everyone. I hope you enjoyed that episode. Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

And if you enjoyed it, you can rate and review on Apple Podcasts, which really helps other people find the show. That's pretty much all from me. The final thing to say is if you are struggling, as mentioned, it's been an intense week. Do listen to last week's episode in which we discussed simple strategies for cultivating calm and mental strength and destabilising times with the top psychiatrist.

Take care, everyone.