Interview: Emma Davies-Jones (England)

 

15th of March, 2006; by Larry Hickmott

Home Nations for Commonwealth Games

 

 

 

Side lined for a long time after a hit and run accident late last year that could so easily have ended her career, Emma Davies Jones was back where she loves to be - on the track. "It's been going all right" she said when we met on the Tuesday before the Games started. "I started back on the bike in January and I'm nowhere near where I should have been had I not had the accident but we're on the way up."

"Coming here has all come around very very fast, and every day I seem to be getting better. The times are getting faster but I don't expect to have the sort of form that I would have hoped for last October. I'm looking at it now as a positive learning experience working with Dan and looking ahead to the future."

"I'll have a good hit out and see what I can do and you never know what might come of it."

Although her form isn't where she would like it to be, thankfully after such a bad accident, Emma does say that she is pretty much fully recovered. "I had a scan on January 10th and that went really well and have another in three months. Nothing is ever going to be where it should be like before but I'm coping quite well. I have been getting excellent physio, massage and doctor support and every few days getting my reflexes checked because I am still getting some pins and needles in certain parts of the leg which emanate from where the spine is crushed."

"My neurosurgeon says that if I want to put my back through this amount of pressure, then I'm going to have a lot of pain. It's not unexpected."

Summing up her preparation for the Games, Emma explained "on January 10th we got the good news I could get back on the bike and it has been full steam ahead since then. We have worked hard at trying to get every session right and get something out of every single session. There was no real time to do easy recovery rides or endurance weeks - we have had to be very very focused on the pursuit. We have done a lot of trials and found out where I am and its not amazing."

"I don't expect to be winning gold, or even a medal at all but we can get close."

As for her programme of events, Emma says "I'll be riding the Points in support of Nikki (Harris) who is in excellent form. In the race, there will be three Australians, two Kiwis, two Canadians so I'm going out there supporting Nikki. It's her first major Games so I'm going out there to try and help her get a result."

"Then I'll have the pursuit where I'll just go out and do the best I can and finally, the road race. That event can be such a lottery and if I get to the finish, anything can happen, or I could get in a break so I have my fingers crossed for everything."

As for the future, Emma says she'll be returning to Belgium where Emma and husband Jason have moved to where she will start her road season by doing media work with her team before starting her racing season proper in April. "The team have shown a lot of faith in me in that we have three leaders in the team and I've been named among those which gives me a lot more responsibility and pressure as well to lead the team."

The final word was to ask how did it feel to be back on the big stage after such a major upheaval? "It feels very emotional to be back. Every once in a while I have a little cry as it does get to me where I have come from. I have had a few pictures given to me to remind me where I have come from and where I am going."

"It doesn't only feel good and emotional to be back but it also feels like the right place to be?"

We wish Emma lots of luck at the Games and the coming season where she looks to get back on track with her racing career.