In the twelfth episode of season three of the Her Spirit podcast BBC Breakfast Louise Minchin and BBC Triathlon presenter Annie Emmerson talk to former international athlete turned broadcaster Jeanette Kwakye.
Jeanette started out in athletics aged 15. Born and bred in East London, she began running for her local club Woodford Green with Essex Ladies. She soon realised her potential and worked her way through the junior ranks to compete for Team GB in her first major junior international in 2002, where she gained a bronze for the 4x100m relay.
Soon after this she attended Loughborough University where she studied Politics and Economics. Graduating in 2005 with a second class honours, Jeanette then focused all her efforts on training for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Jeanette was a multiple British champion over the 100m and 200m. Her highest ranking achievement being the 100m Olympic final in 2008. The first British woman to achieve this feat in 24 years.
An unfortunate series of injuries were to keep Jeanette out of the London 2012 Olympics, despite maintaining her position as British No. 1 across 100m during 2011.
Having since retired from athletics, Jeanette, now a qualified journalist currently works for the BBC, Sky Sports and Channel 5. She reports and presents on Olympic sport for BBCSport and has covered European, World and Commonwealth Games.
She has also worked for Channel 4, been featured on the One Show and published by the Guardian and other national publications.
It's a great conversation about elite sport and life experiences, shared moments and being influenced by Angela Rippon at an early age to follow a path into broadcasting. An early career at Radio Berkshire helped to shape Jeanette's broadcasting career into one where she has a regular slot at BBC Radio London and covering sports from boxing - track & field - swimming.
We love her attitude to life and realising it "Follow the passion and build a career around it" and that she approaches life to know that nothing is certain and nothing is a given.
As a mum of two she is a massive supporter of girls and sport and having dropped out of sport in her late teens, she came back to become British No.1.
These podcasts have been made possible through the support of Medichecks www.medichecks.com and Sport England www.sportengland.org.
Medichecks offers an easy and affordable way to check your health from the comfort of your own home with their simple and personal at-home blood tests. From hormones and nutrition, to cholesterol and diabetes, there is something for everyone.
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