Claire Harvey Q & A

Do you have a nickname?
"Most people call me Harv, mainly because my partner is also a Claire and so it’s a good way of telling us apart. As a child my nickname was 'chocolatey' as in ‘chocolate-e-Claire’ and in rugby I was ‘Dropalot’. I don't think I need to explain why!"

What is your most embarrassing moment in sport?
"Probably at the World Championships in Oklahoma where we beat Canada. The local news crew did a close up of me cheering and waving my arms. Unfortunately our kit has no sleeves and I had forgotten to shave my armpits!"

So a great moment slightly spoilt. We take it you’ve learned your lesson since then?
"I have subsequently added armpit checks to the pre-match routine."

Who is your sporting idol?
"Probably either Billie Jean King or Fatima Whitbread. I remember watching them both as a child and just thinking how very amazing they were, how they were like superheroes to me. As I got older I realised how much they had achieved against a backdrop of 'not fitting in' and being different, but how they allowed their performance to do the talking."

Who is your nemesis?
"Definitely the Dutch captain, Elvira. When we are off court we are friends, but on court, let the war begin!"

Playing is one thing, training another. What aspect of training makes you groan like a disgruntled teenager?
"The gym; I have to set myself mini challenges like working out which other gym attendee is really a spy, just to keep my attention."

What are you most scared of?
"Horses and pea bugs, though I’ve got no idea why on either count."

Have you got any superstitions?
"I always wear odd socks. With our match kit we have to wear white socks, but even then I wear one of two pairs so they aren't the same. The rest of the time, the more different they are the better."

What’s your favourite cheese?
"I love cheese, my favourite is brie but I don't get to have it very often on an athletes’ diet."

What would you eat all day if you weren’t an athlete?
"Boringly I like healthy food. My partner and I eat Brussels sprouts by the bowlful as snacks when watching a film. I am a bit obsessed with gingerbread men too."

Hang on, a bowl of sprouts? Do you eat it like popcorn?
"Yes. In a big bowl with a sprinkling of salt. I'm not sure we would be too popular if we smuggled them into the cinema though!"

You’re playing Come Dine With Me with three famous figures. Who do you choose and what would you cook them?
"I would have Zola Budd, Maya Angelou and Beethoven. I would love to just sit back and hear the stories and conversation. I would cook salmon and spinach; there really is no day off for an athlete's diet!"

What about for starters and desert? 
"Starters would be tomato soup; the food for all occasions. Then my absolute dream desert is cherry pie and custard, although I think I'd have to cheat and buy it in!"

If you could have a super power, what would it be?
"Either to fly or to be able to read minds - although I suspect I would rapidly wish I couldn't."