"Stay humble"

It’s a big week for relays and who better to contribute to our series of athlete top tips than 2012 Olympic 4x400m champion Chris ‘The Fireman’ Brown?

Championship tip

Stay focused, stay relaxed and repeat what you have been doing in practice in competition. As long as I prepare myself in training, I feel I am mentally ready to compete at the major competitions.

Psychological tip

Each race I say to myself ‘I have come too far now to give up or throw in the towel’. I try to treat every competition like it is my last. I say to myself ‘I can’t come back tomorrow or next week or next year’.

I always go into a competition with this attitude because I always want to make sure I represent my country and family with pride.

Coaching tip

I have received many great coaching tips throughout my career, it is hard to pick just one. I would say the top one was instilled into me by my mentor and coach growing up, Michael Coakley, which was ‘do your best’. He always said ‘make sure you give your best and never leave the track thinking you could have done better’.

Technical tip

Always stay relaxed and focused and maintain your form. It is something I needed to practice in my younger days, but is something I’ve had down pat for many years now. Racing became easier after I learned this skill.

Top tip for surviving the athletics circuit

Stay humble. You see some athletes enjoy a victory or a good season and it becomes easy for them to become carried away with their success. But what often follows is a fall or an injury.

I would say to people on the circuit: become less uptight, share your stories with other athletes and this will help you make more friends. If you have more friends, this will keep you motivated and encouraged, and it is amazing how this keeps you more relaxed on the circuit.

Cooking tip

Make sure whatever you eat is something that the body needs rather than what the body wants! Often the mouth wants burgers and fries, rather than what the body needs such as fruit, vegetable and nuts.

Top parental tip

Never give up. I was never the fastest in the school and if I lost a race, although I would feel disappointed, my parents taught me to never give up, keep on fighting and that one day I will get the victory. This is something I’ve taken with me throughout my life.  

Fashion tip

I like the ragamuffin look. I’m a jeans, boots or sneakers kind of guy with glasses and hat. I like to combine the rugged-look with a soft, calm look. I like to blend in, so if you saw me you wouldn’t know I was in the room.

Driving tip

Stay focused and stay in my lane. I always make sure I follow the rules of the street and pray for others behind the wheel, because there are so many distracted drivers.

Vacation tip

I like to go places which are very quiet and I like to experience different foods, different cultures. I like to relax, enjoy the beach and spend time at the resort. I like not to have to worry about what time I need to get up and that I can eat whatever I want on my vacation – like pizza and French fries.

Social media tip

Don’t post every single thing you do, just post things that are important and mean something. Keep your private life private and your fun and active life fun.

Dating tip

I would for say for the guys, treat the ladies how you would treat your mother or your sister and for the ladies respect the guys like you would respect your father or your brother!