The gold medal-winner on getting a free pass from admiring schoolteachers and the day he could finally admit he was no longer an athlete

Born in Farnborough, Kent, in 1974, Iwan Thomas is a former British athlete and media personality. He began his sporting career when he was nine and became a world-class BMX rider at 14, before discovering his passion for sprinting. He was one of the world’s fastest men between 1995 and 1998, winning silver in the 4x400m at the 1996 Olympics, gold in the relay at the European Cup and gold, retrospectively, in the 4x400m at the world championships. He held the British 400m record for 25 years, with a time of 44.36 set in 1997. After a string of injuries, Thomas has since segued into broadcasting, regularly hosting The One Show and commentating for TV and radio. His memoir, Brutal, is out now.

This is me posing in my parents’ garden after coming back from the European championships in Holland. I had crashed in my BMX race, which was annoying as I probably should have won. I was so disappointed I said to Dad, “I’m going to race in cruisers instead.” It wasn’t my usual event – cruiser bikes are normally for the bigger boys or adults – but I wanted another chance. The risk paid off. I came fourth. A good result.