Interview With Pru Dawes

Pru Dawes loves to ski, but most importantly Pru Dawes loves life…!

I have known her since she was five years old and I am privileged to be the godmother of this beautiful twenty year old young woman…

Here she writes about herself in her sport, her two main passions being Horse Riding, where she mainly competed in Eventing, and Skiing... And Life!

Listen here to Pru Dawe's podcast talking about her philosophy of life and sport.

I believe that life should be fun and you should be proud and love what you do - all of it!

I was once told a saying that really stuck in my mind “If you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life”. I completely agree with this, fun should be at the core of everything we do, after all life is short, I want to be able to say that I didn’t regret a moment of it.

I generally always feel in the zone when I am under pressure in something that I really care about, for example when I am ski racing... Standing in the start gate adrenalin pumping, all I can think is that it is just me and the first gate. Nothing else enters my mind apart from the task at hand.

In 'Eventing' it is very similar in that I would often would not be able to hear cheering or see peripheral objects, my whole focus and thought process was on the task ahead.

Having played around with sports, I have also found that I can get in the zone in a moment of true and unconditional freedom, whatever form that may come in.

When I am skiing at my fastest I often feel untouchable with no holds... It is just me, the snow and my skis. This was on an occasion so true that my mum was on a chairlift above me, shouting and screaming my name trying to say 'hi', and I didn’t even consciously recognise or hear her.   

When I am preparing for competitions, I find that I can start to get prepared relatively early... For instance in skiing I will train five days a week on a glacier for five weeks during November for one race, but also with the idea of kick starting progress into the whole of the season.

In Eventing usually the training was quite consistent. therefore it needed only be a small directional change to focus on an event, such as adjusting jump heights and focusing on a specific dressage test.

When it comes to the actual event I find that it works best to do the work/preparation before. In eventing I would often do most of my preparation the night before so this allows me to have a very clear head the morning of the event and only do the necessities.

In skiing my approach is very similar.

I service my skis the night before, pack my bags and lay out my clothes ready for the next day. Then I can wholly focus on the task in hand without the peripheral niggles.

For me I find that the way I approach competitions is similar to how I approached my A Levels... 'I have done the work, I can’t change the outcome now, I might as well sit back and enjoy the ride' - sometimes literally! 

I often like to read Muhammad Ali’s quote which really emphasises the importance of preparation “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights”

Something that I find really important for me is to have a few moments of meditation and calm before I set off, be it exams or competitions.This allows my mind to go into ‘tunnel vision’ and lets the worries and fear seep away. I find that I use these techniques in all aspects of life. It helps me clear my mind and helps me get the true vision of what has to be done.

If I have failed something I have found a really useful approach is to know that there will be better days ahead, every athlete has failed at one time and has managed to bring themselves up to triumph. For me I am generally conscious of the prospect of failure, and find it helps to think of failures as life lessons, there may be some disappointment but I will always be up the next day trying to adapt with the lessons that I have learnt. I find that the stereotypical horse riding saying “if you fall, get back on the horse” really rings true for me. I find it is almost dangerous to dwell on failures in that it can create unnecessary fear instead of a greater understanding.

I tend to just revel in the feeling of success; it is part of sport and makes all the work worth while. When I have overcome the aftermath of joy, it is good to think about the feelings and actions that led me to achieve what I had set out to do.

I find that if I can collect a memory of what I did differently to other events, it can help me accomplish more. It helps to become more systematic in approach to competition, and be confident in the way that I handle a competitive atmosphere.

Success is also important, in that the memory of the sheer joy can be helpful to bring me out from the disappointment of failure. If I remember the feeling of achievement, it can inspire me to come forward from the feeling of decline.

Having never had an injury that prevented me from sport I can’t say how I respond!

However this year I have constantly struggled with small illnesses like coughs and colds. I found that I made the big mistake of trying to push through. This resulted - as most people would guess - in my condition worsening and ending up in throat infections and Bronchitis!

I think that the way I responded really helped me realise how to understand my body, and know when it is ok to push and when to retreat and recover. To think that I might have fixed the problem at the stem instead of ‘pushing on through’ for seven months, has made me really respect my body and eliminate the clueless ‘tough guy’ element from my mind. It has helped me to acknowledge that working through pain is not always the solution.

I am always grateful for my ability to focus, I call it my tunnel vision. I find it really easy to clear my mind and clear all the fear and doubts from my head. I believe that my body has also been built to be exercised. I have always found it amazing how quickly it has responded to a sudden shift, be it heavily increasing distance in a run or making weights heavier. I have been so grateful for this, as It has allowed me to really appreciate and enjoy my sports, as my body adapts so quickly.

Finally I would say that my biggest strength is my strength!

This has also been noticed by other people as one of my strengths. I have a very high power to muscle ratio. I find it very easy to use my muscles to their maximum power, therefore I have naturally found it easy to keep a consistent contact on a horse, or use a ski! I also really enjoy building my muscles and using weights.

I definitely believe that my idea of constantly having fun and enjoying life is my main life belief.

This has sustained me and helped me make some tough decisions about which path in life to go down. I would say that we always know if something isn’t right for us, and to trust ourselves when making a decision. I know it has helped me and made me not regret any of my decisions throughout my life.

Recently, I have realised that one of my core ideas about sport had limited me. This is one that it is natural in sport to be out of your comfort zone for a long time and to be pushed to the point of breaking to get stronger.

Doing work with Julia has allowed me to understand that this is not true, and I have been amazed at the progression I have made through taking it a bit easier.

Previously I have pushed myself to the point of giving up on something. I have had this experience many a time with running, and it equates to why I have had such a love/hate relationship with it. In sport I understand I will not always feel comfortable, but the joy of having done a good run, or climbing a mountain outweighs that small point where it felt a bit too much. A positive outlook on exercise means that we will be consistent. After all consistency is one of the key elements in sport.

I would say I have enjoyed two greatest sporting successes- one for each sport!

Eventing: Qualifying for three regional finals for Badminton Grassroots in one season - one of which where I came third at Brightling International Horse Trials.

Skiing : Feeling completely at ease in a giant slalom timed run. Everything seemed to just come together... I had the best times I'd ever got and I stand by that, it was one of my best days skiing ever.

My mum was constantly with me during my eventing years, for which I am ever grateful that she enabled me so. It was lovely to celebrate the fruits of our labours together. My instructor Polly was always there in spirit at competitions - if not in person!

She has stuck with me since I was barely able to sit on a pony aged ten, and all the highs and lows since that. Because of this she has given me one of my greatest skills. She is still one of my greatest friends. Of course my indescribably amazing horse Henry was always there with me every step of the way, I know I will never have a partnership like it again, and I am always so thankful for the years that we had together. I am so happy that he is now showing his new 'mum' how to do it all over again!

One of my great friends Lorna was there with me at my skiing top performance. She encouraged me from the start of ski racing, and it was so great to share that day with her. My coaches from Podium were there who have given me so much help and progressed my ability by miles!

Finally my boyfriend Calum and Julia were not there that day, but I feel they are worth a mention for sticking with me through all my little quirks about skiing and racing, and giving me such a greater understanding of myself.

Like everyone else they have stuck with me through the highs and lows of my sport, and even though they weren’t there that day, there have been so many days that they were.

Once I am in my ‘tunnel vision’ in skiing, I have found that what really helps me get psyched up is to think of the beginning of one of my favourite songs, Truman’s Waltz by Big Chocolate, then to take three deep breaths and GO!

I find that this has helped me get the most out of my starts in ski racing, it helps clear my mind whilst pumping me up at the same time. When I was eventing I found that my process was just to empty my mind and go for it.

At that moment my goal is to do as much racing as possible next season. It is my true passion. I have the long term goal of doing some Super G racing which is the first of the speed events in Alpine skiing, for me when I go fast, I feel my freest.

To be honest when I am racing the fact that I am doing what I love motivates me, I just know that I was meant to race and ski. If I ever have moments of fear I think of my skiing idols and this gives me the strength to face my fear.

As I write this I am on a personal development, strength and conditioning camp with Julia, so I am currently not doing a typical exercise week! When I come back to the UK I will be doing three strength sessions with two to three runs a week

I would say to anyone contemplating a dream or goal to do it!

You would not believe how good your body was made to feel. Whatever you are thinking of doing be it walking, running or cycling you will be lapping everyone watching TV on the sofa! Sport has taught me so many life lessons and I am so grateful for its presence in my life.

Fundamentally life is about having fun!

I often think about one of my favourite skiers Julia Mancuso, who is a top ski racer, but everything she does is about having fun and enjoying the fruits that life have to offer... And I believe that this is what life should be about. I have found this to be true in all my sports and if you are enjoying it, sport can teach you so much more.

For me sport has taught me how to be optimistic, how to persevere, and the importance of a support network.

Whatever you do whether sport or not, just have fun.

This is what I have focused on in my short life so far and I can say that I don’t regret a second of it.