by Gemma Watters

When I read about Natasha Hunt, a math teacher from England, who is trying out for the 2012 British Olympic team, I remembered a significant moment in my life when I realized that I would never be an athlete.

I was attempting the hurdles with my sisters in our garden. When I say hurdles I mean jumping over the wooden washing pole that should have been propping up my mum's clean sheets. I geared myself up for the big jump. My sisters were holding the pole at one end, while the opposite end was pressed against the stone wall that ran along the parameters of the garden. As I started sprinting, I began to feel myself lifting effortlessly from the ground. I felt like a bird whose wings were about to expand, preparing to soar into the blue sky. As I started to make my leap, my sisters lifted the pole, my foot caught on it and I flopped to the ground like a fledging with broken wings. I think I faded in and out of consciousness for a few minutes. Luckily, I only fractured my arm.

Since that day, I have had a phobia of being elevated off the ground - and of participating in most sports. So, the idea of becoming an Olympian never crossed my mind, until I heard Natasha Hunt's story. Listen to this week's show to find out how an average woman is transforming herself into a professional athlete.