Kirsty Balfour sits sipping tea at Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Pool, minding her business, grabbing a quick break from her daily six hour training session. She is just another person.  The public are completely oblivious to the fact that they are in the presence of a European Champion, Commonwealth Silver medallist, British record holder and World Number two.  So were you, possibly, before you read this.

Kirsty doesn’t mind though.  Because she in turn isn’t too concerned about how she appears to the public.  Now established as one of the world’s elite swimmers, she believes that she owes her achievements and performances to God before herself, her coaches and the public: “I believe that God has given me this swimming talent and it is just such a privilege to have the opportunity to use it.  I try to keep things in perspective.”

‘Perspective’ is very much a key word in Kirsty’s vocabulary.  She has never felt the need to harbour lofty ambitions or look beyond the next step.  Indeed, she even took herself by surprise at the rapidity of which she has risen through the ranks.  She didn’t see herself as a world beater:  “When I started off swimming I didn’t really think about it that way.  It was just a hobby that developed faster than I could think!”  She continued by charting her swift progression to the international stage:  “In 2000 I qualified for the European Juniors, and then I swam at the Commonwealth Youth Games.  All of a sudden I was representing my country at junior level and I thought ‘Wow’.  It just felt right.”

The task of advancing from local galas to national and international arenas may be daunting for some teenagers, but it wasn’t for Kirsty: “It was quite different having people from different countries as a 16 year old, but the fact that I managed to cope with that and come in and swim a Scottish record and win medals was a very positive experience.  Then I built on that coming into the senior level.”

Again the sense of perspective features prominently in Kirsty’s dialogue.  She didn’t settle for a moderately successful junior career, but nor did she assume she had reached the top.  In other words, she didn’t make the mistake so many athletes do early in their careers, and sit back to look down rather than continuing to climb.  She realised the need to ‘build’ and improve for the step up to the top level. 

Much of this attitude comes from a very direct influence, namely her Father, Scott, himself a world champion, in the 55-60 age range in triathlon.  The family unit from which she was raised ensured a career in sport was always a likelihood.

“I have three older sisters and ever since we were young we have been doing sports.  We went on skiing holidays to France, and we have kayaks in our garden that dad took us out in.  And we did a lot of orienteering when we were younger.  I actually quite miss being out in the forests and running around in the heather!”

Indeed, it appears that were it not for Dad Scott, she may never have found her calling:  “My dad ran marathons when I was younger, then he took up triathlon.  He joined the Masters (swimming) club at Hearts, and he suggested I try swimming.  I might never have bothered if it weren’t for him!” 

Significantly though, Balfour insists that although her family have made a very positive contribution to her sporting career, it was always her own decision to become a full time athlete: “My parents never said I should do anything, or mentioned that they were paying for me to do it.  They were just happy that I was doing it and enjoying myself.”

However, thankfully for Scotland, and thanks to Scott for funding her, Kirsty is here today.  But having already achieved so much, what are her ambitions for the long term?

“Ultimately just to achieve everything I am capable of doing and knowing that I have given my best shot at everything I have done.  And just to keep going as long I feel it is the right thing to be doing.”

Shorter term of course, Kirsty’s next big assignment in the field is this month’s FINA World Championships in Melbourne (see link). She may have already picked up seven major medals (including three gold) in the last eleven months, but if she can squeeze in one or two more in Melbourne, surely that would make it a perfect year, wouldn’t it?

“We spoke to a sports psychologist recently and he put things into perspective.”  (There’s that word again!)   “He said you can’t guarantee medals and you can’t guarantee records.  You can only guarantee what you do.  If you have tried your best and someone else beats you then you can’t beat yourself up about it because you have tried your best.  And if you have prepared the best you can, then you have nothing to be ashamed of, they just ran the better race that day.  You should be happy and proud of what you have tried to do.”

Kirsty is a obviously woman who takes sound advice on board, but not just from psychologists.  She trusts in her coach Fred Vergnoux.  She loves being with her team-mates in the pool.  And, living at home with her family, she can speak to her parents and siblings any time she wants.  But, as she mentioned before, above all else she believes in her faith.  And her competition mantra is testament to that.

“I quite often say to myself before a race what Jesus said to the disciples when they asked what the most important commandment was.  He said: ‘To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, all thy soul, all thy mind and all thy strength.’  I quite often repeat that to myself because that is the basis of Christianity.  Especially the strength part, because God has given me this talent, so I have to give it my all.  That is how I translate strength, to my sport.  So I am not thinking about swimming for myself and my coach.  I am doing it for God’s glory rather than anything else.  And I find that takes the pressure off too and I can enjoy myself.”

RO

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