The Sunday Times today ran extracts from Victoria Pendleton's new book. For readers who don't know of Victoria she was a gold medal cyclist in both the Beijing and London Olympics along with nine world titles.
In her book she talks of her relationship with her father who seems to have pushed her hard if selfishly. More surprising are her candid admission about the self harming she started when in intense training in Switzerland as a way to "feel different" about herself, when she was wracked with self-doubt.
She even cut herself after her first gold in Beijing at the time of her greatest achievement.
As a father of a 17 year old girl who I try my best to encourage and support in the face of mixed reactions, this article reminded me that relations with our hidden can be complex and their reactions unexpected. It is a time for me, the parent, to be more vigilant and remember that she will always be my little girl no matter how old she is.
I have no idea how I would feel should self-harming be an issue, other than huge guilt and failure on my part. I don't want that to happen.
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