The work element comes into it as well - how much you train and how much work you put into your craft, in the same way a carpenter would perhaps work under a great teacher, etc.

Sometimes I think you can lose the joy in what you do. It becomes a sense of 'I've got to beat him, I've got to beat him,' and you lose your own sense of joy.

You had to work tremendously hard. You had to have that commitment to training, you had to have that innate ability. It's similar in my profession as well. You can have the ability, but without the work, passion and the commitment, you won't really get there.

Being a sport star and a chef both require passion, commitment, work and natural ability.

There's a layer of satisfaction that I get from cooking that is more than the work itself. I think when you're too competitive sometimes you can lose the joy of what you do.

We [chefs] are competitive, although I think you need to be careful with competitiveness as it can become quite negative.

It really helps if you've got something like cycling, walking, running or swimming that can let your body release all that tension and keep your muscles fit.