Last week I officially announced my retirement. I've had mixed emotions, it was always going to be a tough decision to make but there was also a feeling of relief. Sport at a professional level must come to an end whether that decision is in you hands, due to injury or simply because of selection. As well as my personal retirement from Modern Pentathlon I have had the opportunity to speak to other sportsmen in different fields about their experiences, this was interesting and it gave me some more valuable presenting experience.
I have been playing mixed roles the last few days, swapping from being the interviewer to being the interviewee. During a week long BBC journalism course where I was being trained to ask the questions I had to keep nipping out to answer them, seeing both sides of the industry really must be the quickest way to learn. The downside to my multi role week has been the lack of spare time, maybe it's just been a good introduction to the real world. After working five intense days my brain certainly had been truly exercised, unfortunately my body hadn't. I can't remember the last time I had a week with no exercise, I am retired from Pentathlon but not from sport. Thankfully the weather was on my side, a few hours riding my bike over Dartmoor really was the perfect setting for some quality thinking and reflection.
