I'm obsessive. I want to know the answer to how good I am. Most people aren't.

I've still got a small fitness and conditioning business where I travel round the world doing stuff for individuals and corporations, mainly fitness training.

Most people doing the decathlon these days are quite boring, so people don't relate to them.

Being a decathlete is like having ten girlfriends. You have to love them all, and you can't afford losing one.

For kids it's natural to be competitive.

Retiring was hard. I'd spent 15 years doing something I loved, but when you get older everything seems to go. When I started spending too long with the physio and the doctor, I knew it was time to call it a day. But I had no preparation for being retired and I didn't know what to do.

You can be an Olympic champion in 9.5 secs, but to be the greatest, there's more to it. It takes a bit of forethought and a lot of mental application.