It all boils down to me, says Gillick

DAVID GILLICK did not even know how to turn on the washing machine when he moved lock, stock and barrel to Loughborough in pursuit of excellence under renowned 400m coach Nick Deakin.

He had gone through a bad patch after winning the first of his two European indoor 400m titles and decided he had to make drastic changes to his life if he was to realise his full potential. But he found his athletics career was not all he had to change. He had to change his whole lifestyle. He had to look after himself and he cannot remember having cooked a full meal for himself before.

“When I was at home, all my cooking and washing was done for me but next thing you are over there and I did not even know how to work the washing machine,” he said.