Jaguar Academy of Sport Mentor, Anna Hemmings MBE is Britain's most successful female canoeist. She is a two time Olympian and six time World Champion and the only female canoeist to hold both European and World marathon canoeing titles concurrently (1999 and 2005).
Throughout her career she won an impressive 11 World and European Championship medals. However, in 2003 Anna's sporting career was disrupted by a debilitating illness called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, doctors informed her that she would be forced to retire from international competition altogether. However, two years later Anna returned to the sport only to regain her title as World Champion Marathon canoeist in the 2005 World Marathon Canoeing Championships. In 2009, Anna retired from canoeing after 15 years competing at the top flight of the sport.
Anna now uses her knowledge and international experience to help the next generation of sporting talent and in 2011 Anna was paired with Jaguar Academy of Sport Rising Star Sheree Cox, a shooter from Surrey. Anna mentored Sheree on a one-to-one basis throughout the year, guiding and advising her as Sheree competed in such championships as the Commonwealth Games and European's.
Sheree has had a fantastic year so far and is hoping to make the 2012 Olympic team. We caught up with Sheree to ask her how the Jaguar Academy of Sport Mentoring Programme and, in particular, Anna Hemmings has helped her with her performance and training this year.
How do you feel Anna helped you to progress throughout the time she mentored you?
"She's focused on helping me with the mental side of my performance. Once you've mastered the skill of shooting it then comes down to your mental ability during competitions due to the constant repetition of certain actions, which is at the heart of shooting. Anna taught me about Heart math; this is the use of certain breathing techniques, which are used to lower your heart rate and optimise your brain's functionality. If you breath correctly, your nervous system can react better to situations and your heart and brain can function more efficiently to allow you to make a better decision. As, obviously shooting is a precise skill you have to make many exact decisions during a competition.
What did you learn from Anna's experiences?
"It was great to see what worked for her. She explained what kind of techniques and preparation she used during competitions and why they worked for her. It just gave me so much help; I would just think of the things that she taught me during a competition. If I was panicking a little, Anna taught me to calm down, control my breathing and think back to everything that she had said. So all of the techniques she taught me have become invaluable to my performance.
"Anna used the Heart math technique herself. She would connect me to her equipment and measure my heart rate to help me understand how my body reacts during a competition. I learnt not to panic during a competition, as that is precisely what makes for a poor performance. I learnt to calm myself down, collect my thoughts and compose myself, to in turn lower my heart rate. It was reassuring to know what worked well for Anna, as a World Champion and gave me confidence in my own performance."
What was it like having a six time World Champion as a mentor? How much of an inspiration was she to you?
"Being able to just go round to Anna's house or call her up and ask for her advice was incredible. I was incredibly lucky to have a six time World Champion and two time Olympian helping me with my own performance and the knowledge that she has given me has certainly inspired me to work hard to achieve my goals. Particularly when I didn't perform up to standard, it was great to have her to help me to understand why I didn't perform and listen to someone who has been at the top of their sport a great deal of time.
"I remember the first time I went to her just after the Commonwealth Games and she asked how it went for me (my partner and I came seventh in the competition) and I said it went okay but she asked how I felt about it and suddenly I just found myself crying and she asked me why I was upset about it? It was the first time that I actually realised that I wasn't happy with how I'd performed and that I knew that I could perform better! She gave me such confidence, I came away thinking that there's someone who believes in me and understands what it is to want to perform to your very best and how difficult it is for you when you don't!"
How valuable was the support that she gave you?
"It was priceless! If things weren't going to plan in training or I was worrying I would ring her up and she would encourage me and tell me not to be down about things. It was amazing to just have someone who I could ring up and chat to, particularly when I was competing abroad. On the flipside, when I did really well I could ring her up and she would congratulate me. I hope to stay in contact with her in the future; she has been invaluable to my progress."
This year Anna Hemmings will be mentoring Rising Star windsurfer Keiran Martin. What's the best piece of advice you could give him?
"Write down everything that Anna says and remember it as every word is like gold dust. I would take a notebook along to all of my meetings with Anna and just write and write."
Sheree Cox has undeniably reaped the benefits of the Mentoring and Education programme, which aims to inspire and educate the Academy's Rising Stars. The programme allows the Rising Stars to learn from athlete mentors who have competed at the top of their sports in order to help and encourage them on their own path to sporting success.
Sheree has made fantastic progress this year and is currently in the running to make the London 2012 Olympic team, demonstrating that the programme is making a tangible difference to an athlete's sporting career.
Keiran Martin, a Jaguar Academy of Sport 'Special Recognition Award' winner from 2011, will this year have the opportunity to learn from Anna, Britain's most successful female canoeist.
