A biography for Denise Lewishasn’t been written yet.
“There is a point where you have to start regaining yourself and managing your time, and your mental wellness.”
“I fell in love with athletics watching the 1980 Moscow Olympics, aged seven. I thought: 'These people aren't human, they're immortal.'”
“Dickie Davies was a legend. And he's a really nice man, too.”
“I did think I might be perimenopausal rather than pregnant.”
“I have moments of happiness every single day.”
“Sydney has such a cosmopolitan feel to it. The food is great and Australians are so friendly.”
“If you reach the heights then it's great but if you can inspire young people at school, university or as a coach, then it is a fantastic life.”
“In heptathlon, if one day goes extremely well, you've got to go to bed and start the next one completely fresh - lose what you did yesterday.”
“I don't mind losing, but I do want to apply myself, I go for it.”
“Obviously it is well documented that I didn't love the 800m when I started out. But I, er, learnt to appreciate it.”
“Mum was a disciplinarian. Raising a child on your own forces you to have to keep the boundaries tight.”
“I didn't exercise like crazy, but I was in the gym.”
“During my career I had been training twice a day, every day, because it was all about me. That was the job. But with kids, my hours were vastly reduced.”
“You think of Ingrid Kristiansen, Liz McColgan, Sonia O'Sullivan, they were all pregnant just before big wins. But you don't know. I have no idea how long the hormone boost lasts.”
“I've been to many Games and Championships and the mascot plays a special part. It brings a certain energy to the event, to the brand and identity of the Games. Children gravitate towards it and it almost becomes the face of the Games if you like.”
“I'm a big champion of talking about Britain's colonial past but the important thing is not hiding it away and giving a true account of history.”
“My children are good eaters and are always happy to try new things.”
“I just hope, in terms of legacy, that more kids want to choose a life in sport that they are more active and getting stuck in really.”
“I was injured in the early part of 2000 and spent 10 weeks barely able to walk.”
“I'm a three-meals-a-day person and I swear by breakfast - Country Crisp with raspberries.”