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Raise Your Game: How do you handle the pressure of competing?

Philippa Roles: You've got to do it. You can't disappear. You've got to bide your time and perform when it really counts.

RYG: What are your goals for the future?

PR: I need to start building up for the Olympics and getting some decent training done. I've been suffering these last couple of weeks with the flu (June 2008).

RYG: How do you fit your athletics preparation around your job as a full time train driver?

PR: During the winter it works really well, but in the summer it's gradually gotten worse and worse, to the point that I've gradually been getting less and less sleep every night. It's my livelihood so I've got to do it. They have been very accommodating with me and my shifts, but it has meant getting up at half past three for the last three months.

RYG: How do you manage your time effectively?

PR: The thing that I lose out on the most is sleep. Work comes first because it funds my training. Training comes after that and then I sleep. I don't really do anything else (laughs).

RYG: Do the rewards make the sacrifices worthwhile?

PR: If I had it too easy, I probably wouldn't do it. I like a bit of a challenge. I like there to be obstacles in my way, then I seem to do alright. If I was a full time athlete, I'd lose my marbles. You need something to keep your mind active, rather than training all the time.

RYG: How do you stay motivated when you're tired and feeling like you need to rest?

PR: It can be a struggle. If I'm tired, I try to get a big throw out early on.

RYG: Why should more girls take up the discus?

PR: It's a great sport. There are good coaches around. I started off throwing with Neath Harriers on a grass track. I moved to another club, then another club. You've just got to seek it out.

RYG: Why is it important to stay fit and healthy?

PR: Sport is amazing. Some kids would rather play on their computers and watch television. Schools need to be giving kids as many options as possible, rather than just rugby, football and cross country. All sports are great to get involved in, whether they're team or individual sports.

RYG: What has sport given you?

PR: It's given me a lot. It's allowed me to travel. When I'm doing well there's no other feeling like it. You have bad days, but when you are doing well it's a great feeling.

RYG: What are your hopes for the future?

PR: I'm going to work as hard as I can up until Beijing to get the best possible result. I deserve to do well. I've come so far. I'm looking forward to 2012 as well. I'm old, but I'm not that old.

RYG: How do you plan on preparing for the Olympics?

PR: I'm going to go back to some stuff I was doing in the winter, to build up a bit of a foundation again and then head to the Olympics. You do tend to be chasing comps in the summer, so you can lose the foundation training. I'm going to go back to basics for a while and warm up to the games.

RYG: What advice would you give to young people looking to get into sport?

PR: Give it a go. Don't write it off. There's a lot of peer pressure amongst teenage girls. It's not trendy to do sport. You'd rather be going out shopping with your mates and stuff, but don't knock it until you've tried it.