Peter Bakare

Q&A

• What does it mean to you being selected as a Lloyds TSB Local Hero? How will the Award help?

  I've been selected for another year and it portrays how much belief the Lloyds TSB Local Heroes programme has in young aspiring athletes like myself. Friends and family will always give that innate support but having something like Lloyds TSB congratulating you as a hopeful is sometimes needed. The recognition helps you push that much further, especially with the support they give with it on how to balance life as an athlete and a student which at times is stressful to say the least. The money will help cover cost and expenses of equipment food and training. The stronger, fastest, better you are at your sport the harder it is to cover cost and Lloyds TSB have picked us up at that stage and assisted.

• How did you first get involved with your sport?

  I used to play basketball at my college and my coach also trained the volleyball team. He persuaded me to come to a training session and I just started playing from then on.

• What are your three greatest achievements?

  1.Getting my first Cap for GB against Slovakia
  2. Getting chosen the Men's GB Volleyball Team.
  3. My first cap against Denmark for England juniors.

• Tell us about any challenges you have overcome to follow your sporting dream.

  Yeah I used to act and write and at first I was managing it but things became a little hectic and was told to choose sport or the others. It was a hard choice to make but I realised my legs will only stay strong for so long.

• What advice would you give to a young person considering taking up your sport? What would your top three tips be?

  Write your goals down somewhere you will see them when you wake up. Having that will give you the desire to get dressed and go hard.
  
  Sometimes there isn't always answers to questions you'll give your coach. I'm someone who would ask why isn't working? I realised just keep doing what you do with practice it comes.
  
  This is a personal one for me. Take an athlete it doesn't have to be from your sport but choose someone that has something that could help your game in a different aspect. An example would be me taking Michael Jordan and how he jumps high because that's something I would need in a volleyball match. I've even chosen Roger Federer and look at his serve. A tennis serve is similar to a volleyball spike.