19 April 2015

The British Athletics e-newsletter recently caught up with sprinter Anyika Onuora at her warm weather training camp in Daytona in Florida, USA to find out what she’s been getting up to ahead of the 2015 outdoor season.

How is the warm weather camp going in Daytona?

I’m having a great camp here in Daytona. I love being here in the sunshine state! It’s good to be back with my coach Rana Reider and the rest of my training group.

What work have you been doing in Daytona? Is it different from training back in Loughborough?

Everything is so much more technical now I have my coach on hand. Rana has a great eye for attention to detail which as a sprinter is vital in order to help me know exactly how I intend to run just as quick as I have previously.

How beneficial is warm weather training to you?

Absolutely, I usually go warm weather training every year and this is my fourth time is Florida. Not only does it break up the winter/spring training but you enjoy the benefits of working out in the heat which isn’t consistent living in the UK.

How’s the weather compared to Loughborough?

It’s much warmer from morning to night here in Daytona. The average temperature is 28 degrees most days. It isn’t as windy as Loughborough so I have less chance of getting blown away!

What have you been getting up to when you’re not training in Daytona?

I’ve been hanging out at the beach and making most of the warm weather. I like to cook a lot so I tend to have my training partners Shara Proctor and Tiffany Porter round for dinner. I also intend to do a tour of the Daytona 500 at some point before I leave, look for some alligators and catch some NBA games on TV.

What do you miss most when you’re away from home?

I’m so used to travelling during the year, I tend not to get as home sick as I used to. Although I do miss my family, friends, boyfriend and watching Liverpool FC live on TV! Even with the five hour time difference I try to catch up with everyone back home as often as I can.

You do a lot of travelling around the world, what do you do to combat the boredom of flights?

I like to listen to music, read and shamelessly watch TV shows. I’m currently listening to J. Cole, Krept and Konan and D’angelo. The book I’m currently reading is Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and I like to catch up on the TV show, Scandal and shamelessly watch the Real Housewives of Atlanta!

Is the World Relays a competition you’re looking forward to?

I love the concept of the World Relays and what it brings for the athletes. I competed there in 2014 and had the opportunity to run the 4x100m and also breaking the 4 x200m British record.

Bahamas is the best location if I do say so myself as it’s a two day international track meet in the Caribbean. What more could you as for!

How much are you looking forward to the season?

It’s another big year as we have the World Championships in Beijing in August. I’m looking forward to another great year on the track that I’m sure will be just as good as 2014!

What are your aims for the summer?

The Beijing World Championships is the main focus. To have a healthy season where I can run some fast times and I’m also looking forward to racing more 400m.