Linford Christie OBE on his new interest in outdoor swimming

Linford Christie OBE is one of the most highly decorated British athletes of all-time. In 2019 he joined 10 other celebrities to form a relay team and attempt to swim across the English Channel. Ella Foote finds out about what is behind his success and his new interest in outdoor swimming

Our minds matter, we hear it time and time again. Those that go on to achieve great things in life or in any sport will tell you that mental strength is just as essential as physical fitness – maybe even more important. “When I said I was the best, I actually believed it,” says Linford Christie OBE. “That is what separated me from the rest. There was never any doubt in my mind. I have never been in a race that I thought I couldn’t win and if I did lose it wasn’t because someone was better than me, it was because on the day my best wasn’t good enough. All blood is red, no one is better than anyone –I just made people believe I was better than they were.”

Linford Christie is the only British man to have won gold medals in the 100 metres sprint at all four major competitions open to British athletes…

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