The 46-year-old sprinter explains why he nonetheless enjoys racing after being voted AW masters male athlete of 2024
When Dwain Chambers settled into his blocks at first of the 60m last within the M45 age group on the European Masters Championships in Poland this yr, he felt as nervous as ever. At his peak, he received world and European indoor titles in 2009 and 2010 over the identical distance, but racing in opposition to fellow veteran sprinters in Poland, he was the big-name athlete whose scalp everybody wished.
“I took it very significantly as a result of I knew I may lose,” he says. “I used to be two or three metres forward on paper however I nonetheless needed to go in and put together the identical means. I knew I couldn’t slip up, as one of many different Brits would steal my glory. They have been elevating their degree to compete with me, however I additionally needed to increase my sport.
“I used to be nonetheless simply as nervous as at all times earlier than the race. I nonetheless needed to go to the bathroom the identical variety of instances earlier than the race! It wasn’t simple.”
Chambers prevailed in 6.93. A couple of weeks earlier he had run even faster, too, with a world indoor file for his age group of 6.81 at Lee Valley. The performances have been sufficient to see him voted AW Readers’ Selection Male Masters Athlete of the Yr.
He first shot to fame as a gifted teenager within the Nineteen Nineties with a few victories within the European Junior Championships over 100m. A rollercoaster profession ensued with a much-publicised brush with the anti-doping authorities. In more moderen years he has impressed onlookers along with his ageless athleticism, typically beating athletes half his age as he continues to streak to super-fast instances in his forties.
Dwain Chambers (Getty)
How did he discover the masters scene? “After years of massive crowds as a global athlete, I assumed ‘what’s it going to be like?’” he says. “I promised myself for years that I used to be going to do a masters occasion and I used to be overwhelmed with the help I received and likewise seeing all these older athletes nonetheless doing what they love.
“Okay, they’re not operating loopy quick instances however they’re on the market doing their finest. They’re all having enjoyable and having fun with it, which jogged my memory why I liked the game a lot as a youthful athlete earlier than it received to some extent the place it wasn’t a lot enjoyable for some time.”
Did he ever think about as a younger athlete that he’d in the future do masters athletics? “In no way,” he admits. “It didn’t cross my thoughts as a teen. You simply dwell within the second. You progress from race to race and you probably have a brief break then you could have a vacation and also you’re again on the trip once more quickly afterwards.”
Dwain Chambers (Getty)
Chambers believes extra former elite athletes ought to give masters competitions a go, too. “I feel masters competitions needs to be a part of an athlete’s duty because it helps increase the profile of the game and helps with longevity and retains you going,” he says.
“It might assist athletes who’re near retirement however possibly don’t know what they’re going to do throughout the remainder of their lives. They’ll preserve their foot within the door by doing masters athletics whereas figuring every little thing out. When you go from being disciplined for 10-20 years to immediately being undisciplined, it’s not factor. Masters permits athletes to do the game for the pure enjoyment somewhat than worrying about brokers and contracts and stuff like that.”
After testing optimistic for medicine in 2003, Chambers acquired a ban from the game and was lambasted by the media. On the top of his infamy, Niels de Vos, chief government of UK Athletics on the time, known as for him to be banned from the GB crew. But the sprinter at all times maintained a coverage of fronting as much as his errors and steadily, over time, started to win over followers and journalists along with his affable character. As this AW readers’ selection vote proves, the previous pantomime villain of athletics is now a revered and admired determine.
At present he advises children to remain heading in the right direction and keep away from medicine. It has struck a chord with athletes and oldsters, too, as his Dwain Chambers Efficiency Academy has now been going sturdy for a number of years with half a dozen coaches and a few admin workers serving to him ship classes to kids at Lee Valley in north London.
“We’re instructing youngsters life expertise by way of sport,” he says. “None of them are assured to develop into world, European or Commonwealth champions however we’re hoping they are going to develop into respectable human beings. As soon as they discover that they’ve an curiosity in athletics, we all know we may help them by way of that course of.”
Exterior of teaching youngsters, Chambers gives his companies to footballers and celebrities as properly. “It’s cool to have the ability to carry athletics coaching into the health world,” he says.
In parallel along with his personal sprinting, he performs “Sellebrity Soccer” for charity as properly. “In the course of the first 5 minutes of the primary sport, I used to be completely destroyed as I used to be solely ever used to operating for 10 seconds or so,” he smiles. “So I preserve it secure and play proper again. I can’t threat twisting my ankle or something.”
Dwain Chambers (Mark Shearman)
He turns 47 in April and may nonetheless combine it with a few of Britain’s finest sprinters as he reached the semi-final on the UK Indoor Championships earlier this yr. Given this, what are the secrets and techniques of his longevity?
Consuming a comparatively clear weight loss plan and resting extra between his more durable classes are excessive up on his listing of priorities. “At first I nonetheless had the mindset of a 20-year-old however my physique wasn’t the identical as a 20-year-old’s,” Chambers explains. “So I’d prepare arduous for a couple of days after which it will take two or three weeks to get better.
“I can’t relaxation loads between coaching classes like youthful athletes. I’m teaching and taking care of my very own youngsters and produce other obligations through the day which doesn’t permit me to simply put my toes up.
“So I made a decision to work on my diet, which is one thing that I’d by no means labored on earlier than earlier in my profession. Those that take note of every little thing will at all times beat those that are solely doing 85-90 per cent of the work.
“We in all probability have fish and chips as soon as in a blue moon and takeaway each Friday however I don’t transcend that. I simply keep disciplined.
“I additionally run quick solely about as soon as each 10 days now. In between I’ll simply do tempo runs or restoration runs. And this works for me significantly better than if I attempt to do velocity, velocity, velocity the entire time.”
Regardless of his scaled-down coaching schedule, advancing years and busy daytime routine, Chambers believes he can run quicker in 2025 than he did in 2024 and has an ambition – albeit he admits it’d merely be a deluded fantasy – to get again right down to nearer to the 6.42 for 60m and 9.97 for 100m that he ran a couple of years in the past.
“There may be naturally a component of me that thinks: ‘I’ve nonetheless received it’,” he says. “I typically ask myself if I’m the equal of being ‘punch drunk’!
“Sure, I ran 6.81 this yr however it’s not 6.40 or 6.20. I feel I can nonetheless run these instances, however is it my creativeness operating wild or it’s a actuality? And that’s partly what nonetheless drives me.
“I have a look at what I did once I ran these instances previously and I’m wondering what steps I could make to get again to that time. Whether or not I can nonetheless run these instances or not, and even get shut, I’m undecided. However that’s my pursuit of happiness on the minute.”
One factor’s for positive, if he loses his capacity to be aggressive then he’s undecided he’ll proceed. “I don’t know what number of years I must go at degree. As soon as that disappears I feel I’ll be finished. I really like the fun of racing and nervousness and every little thing that goes with it.”
If Chambers was the person to be shot at through the European Masters Champs this yr, then the reverse will probably be true on the UK Indoor Championships in Birmingham in 2025. He’s planning to focus on the occasion and is wanting ahead to giving the youthful athletes a run for his or her cash.
“I need to do the trials once more this winter,” he says. “If I’m fortunate and if I can discover that spark once more, I’d get to the European Indoor Champs once more!”
» This text first appeared within the December problem of AW journal. Subscribe to AW journal right here, take a look at our new podcast right here or signal as much as our digital archive of again points from 1945 to the current day right here