1.- When did you start to walk ? Have you had any difficulties in learning walking or was it quite natural ?

I started to run (cross country and middle distances) when I was 11, but unfortunately I was having problems with exercise-induced asthma, and at the age of 14 I decided to switch to the “less intense” race walking. I did not have any difficulties in learning the technique which was quite natural to me.

2.- What was in your athletic life your relationship with your coaches ?

My first coach was my dad who transmitted to me his passion for athletics. I always trusted him and I often still ask him advices. In Napoli, during my university years, I have been trained first by the Master (of sport) Nicola de Vito and a few years later by Gianpaolo Ciappa. I had a great relationship with both of them based on mutual respect. They were not just my coaches but represented a second family to me. Here in England I learned to coach myself, but I also found somebody (Mark Wall) who takes care of me and gives good advices.

3.- What was in your athletic life your relationship with judges ?

I didn’t have many chances to chat with judges, but I believe that discussions between athletes, judges and coaches would be constructive for both parties and beneficial to the discipline. I have been disqualified a few times in the past and I always respected the judges’ decision. Then together with my coaches I tried to understand my mistakes and work more on the improvement of my technique.

4.- Your best victory and the most suffered ?

The best victory was last Sunday at the final of the British Winter Race Walk Challenge. My target was not just to win but also bring down my PB, so I set a fast pace since the start and tried to stay focused despite the bad weather conditions. The most suffered victory is actually a second place at the U23 Italian Championships in Grosseto in 2005. I was competing against Sibilla di Vincenzo (who finally won the race) and Agnese Ragonesi (who arrived third). We were closely bunched for most of the race and we all ended up with good chronometric performances.

5.- The defeat left you the nasty taste in your mouth ?

It was at the Italian Athletics Championship in 2004 in Firenze. I got disqualified for the first time in my life and I missed the opportunity to be selected as a member of the Italian team for an international match.

6.- Tell us something about your experiences in the National Team.

My only experience in the National Team was at the U23 European Athletics Championships in Erfurt in 2005.  In the younger age categories I was not a top athlete so I really had to work hard to get the participation standard and beat the stronger contestants. It was the achievement of a dream and a great honor for me to represent my country at an international race.

7.-  Tell us something abdur your academy career  and as you have lived the moment of parting with race walking and with your Country

I graduated in Geology at the University of Napoli “Federico II” in 2008, then started to study for a PhD at the same University. During my undergraduate studies I didn’t have huge problems in conciliating study and training, but when I started the PhD it became harder because of the larger amount of work. So I gradually started to abandon the walking and when in 2012 I achieved the PhD and moved to Bristol to work as Research Assistant at the University of Bristol I decided to quit walking definitively. At the beginning I was so excited about moving in a new city and starting a new job that the detachment with my country was not too traumatic.

8.- How you move close again to race walking ?

The first two years in Bristol I was only jogging 2-3 times a week just to stay fit, but then I got bored and I started to really miss the competitiveness of races. So last spring I started again to walk, very slowly and without really having a precise goal. After getting in touch with the coach Mark Wall I had the opportunity to take part in a 3km race at the UK Inter-Counties Championships in August. I missed the podium by only one second and this motivated me to train harder and take part to other races.

9.- How do you see race walking today in Great Britain and as you in Italy ? 

Race walking in Great Britain is not very popular, especially when compared with all the other disciplines of athletics. Nonetheless there are many initiatives to promote it, for example “parkruns”. This year race walking returned in the British Indoor Championships after being absent for more than 10 years and this was a very good showcase for the discipline. I believe also that the continuous improvement of top athletes like Tom Bosworth will help to give more visibility to race walking. 

In Italy there are quite a few motivated and talented athletes; some of them are still in the youth categories but they already represent the present of our discipline. I think that in Italy race walking is one of the few disciplines of athletics which could bring some medals to the Italian team in the next international competitions...finger crossed! 

10.- How do you see your future in race walking world ?

This is a tricky question to answer. Until now I have been able to conciliate job commitments and training, but this could get more difficult during busier times, so I can’t really make long term plans. I just want to keep training and racing for fun, setting a new target at a time. Next one is to bring down my (11 years old!) PB in the 20km. In any case I hope in my future I will return to compete in Italy!

(cover photo by Miles Frazer - GBR)

Tatyana Gabellone today: victory in Coventry 2015 (photo by Mark Easton)

Tatyana Gabellone today: Hillington 2014 (photo by Mark Easton)

Tatyana Gabellone today: victory in Sheffield 2015 (photo by Adrian Royle)