# Transcript

MATTHEW PINSENT
I was the youngest of three. I had two older sisters who were nothing but lovely to me. I don't want to say they beat me up or anything. And I think part of my ingredients was wanting to catch up with them when I was growing up. So playing their games and joining in with them and keeping up with them speed wise. Or, whatever it might have been, I think I developed physically a bit sooner than I might have done.
And my parents were always there as both a support to my chosen sport-- whether it was driving me around occasionally or paying for stuff. Junior sports is expensive. But also my parents, I think, had the influence on me that I was quite respectful of the sport and my opposition and my teammates and all that. And that was more important as I went higher up, never to forget. I shouldn't be saying things that my mum would be ashamed about or whatever. That was always quite a good barometer of what was good or bad.
My parents were not sporty at all. My dad would play the occasional game of squash. My mum-- hard to think of my mum in a sporting environment at all, really. Perfectly active, but not sporty. I don't think she owns a bit of sports kit.
I think they encouraged me to try things that I could be good at and didn't judge me for the sacrifices that it would make. Even though it was obviously impacting on my future career choices, they never once said, don't be doing that. That's a bad thing to do. Or it's too risky or whatever.

Matthew Pinsent video and transcript © The Open University