Shakes-Drayton lauds benefits of Dancing on Ice as she prepares for Commonwealth Games debut
BySportsbeat
Published 25/01/2018 at 13:17 GMT
Dancing on Ice may not be the most orthodox of training methods for an athlete to prepare for a major championships but Perri Shakes-Drayton is backing it to work.
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Image credit: Eurosport
The 29-year-old is currently competing on the ITV reality show as she prepares to represent Team England at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Shakes-Drayton has two world and two European medals to her name but has yet to appear at a Commonwealth Games.
"I am loving being on Dancing On Ice," said the 400m runner. "It's very different to running on the track as it requires a lot more thought and taking in information compared to when I am on the track, which comes second nature to me.
"I feel stronger, using muscles that I normally wouldn't use as much when I am running or doing certain drills in the gym.
"I go to athletics training and am really pleasing my coach because he has my targets and I am hitting them."
Should Shakes-Drayton make it to the final stages of Dancing on Ice she will have little time between the show ending and the Games beginning.
But she is confident she has been managing her workload correctly in the build up to her debut Commonwealth Games.
"It's very demanding but my athletics coach has been very understanding at changing my sessions," she added.
"Ice skating is very quad-dominant, so if I have a track session before the training on the ice, he won't send me there with heavy legs. It's all very calculated and smart.
"I am very much so looking forward to the Gold Coast, I have never done a Commonwealth Games before and never been to Australia.
"I would love to come home with a medal but I am grateful that I have been selected. The Commonwealth Games is an opportunity that I will really enjoy and let's just see how far I can go with it.
"I am going to feel so proud to represent Team England. Whenever I put on a piece of uniform and I get to display my talent I feel so proud knowing that there is a whole nation behind me."
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