A biography for Denise Lewishasn’t been written yet.
“When I was running as an athlete, I'd be looking at my heart rate, monitoring when it started to peak, when it plateaued. I'd make a note of the oxygen debt in my body and would always be working to a specific time.”
“I don't think I had great confidence as a teenager.”
“You have the burning desire as a successful sportsperson and that needs to go somewhere when you finish. It is a problem so many people have when their careers end and I was no different.”
“I'm a soul and R'n'B kind of girl.”
“My mum gave me lots of advice growing up, but the general theme to everything was 'Be yourself, be consistent.' Whether it was in sport or life generally, it was about treating everyone the same, staying consistent.”
“One of my favorite cuisines is Italian so I love visiting Italy.”
“People would measure you by your shape, you used to find a lot of male athletes peeling off their tops - just to say, 'Have some of this.' I guess my abs were a sign to people. 'Watch out, she's in shape.'”
“I obviously had my family to keep me amused and I took up golf when I retired from athletics.”
“Parents with a West Indian background tend to be more strict.”
“I love herbal teas and have quite a collection.”
“I was 11 when I first saw the Alexander Stadium. I walked through the door and thought, 'Wow, this is it. This is where I want to be.'”
“When I say I gave it my all in Sydney, I really did.”
“The initial feelings when you step into the Olympic arena representing your country, your community, representing yourself can be really overwhelming.”
“That's the British press. Can you tell me one successful sportsperson that doesn't get slammed?”
“Athletes make nothing like the money that footballers or even cricketers earn. If you are a female athlete you are at the bottom of the ladder.”
“Well, now I am retired I am doing a variety of different sports such as cycling and tennis, and I have pulled out my golf clubs and started golf as well.”
“I use a Papaya Enzyme Peel by Elemis and leave it on for ten to 15 minutes. When I rinse it off, my skin feels silky and hydrated.”
“Being a new mum at whatever age is testing and I think I've forgotten what it feels like.”
“You can't complain about Sir Steve or Jill Halfpenny in 'Strictly Come Dancing.' But Michael Owen in 1998, that really does bother me.”
“I love 'I'm A Celebrity...' and those kinds of things. But sometimes I find reality stuff a bit distasteful.”