Page 5 - BBHAC Winter 2014-15 Gazette web
P. 5
Interview 3
If anything goes amiss coach knows the right things practice of addressing the
with her training she can to say to different athletes; question of what might have
concentrate on her studies “he knows exactly what to say been, through examining
(“I can’t beat myself up over to different ones, she adds “how alternative history or parallel
it especially if I have essays to to get your adrenalin flowing scenarios. “Oh I do that all the
complete the next day”) and if and how to calm people down... time” she admits… Yes this
those go badly she can go off also he won’t lie to you... he’ll be is all about causation… if you
and train to clear her mind so completely honest and knows what try to think about alternative
the two things complement to do.” scenarios, what might have
each other and gives her a Through Blackie she has also happened…” She gave me
chance of escapism from both learned how to be flexible and for instance a sequence of
of them. It maintains the absorb new ideas, something events which may not have
work/life balance. which as an undergraduate happened had a certain
Going back some years she at King’s she has constantly assassination in Sarajevo in
reflected on the time when been doing. After her first June 1914 not taken place, but
she was developing her year she is moving from a suggested that things could
athletic skills in the Bees pure humanities emphasis to have proceeded to a similar
Academy, particularly the a more scientific approach European state after 1945
importance of just having fun to her subject and focusing that did happen. “However
in training, even when it hurt more on political history. By there were tensions already in
at times (“everyone else feels like doing this she is displaying Europe, something else might have
that when they’re doing it hurting the capacity of gaining triggered it”.
together but they’re all giggling understanding of the present In examining this subject of
and enjoying it.”). Even when by examining the past “When causation she contends that
the pressures of competition you look at the history of political history could be regarded
and potential recognition events” she says “you see in them not just a humanity but
increased she claims she never a lot of similarity with modern as a science and this was
lost that sense of fun which times and it makes it easier to something she has plenty
feeds her vivacious personality understand what happened in the to say on. “It can definitely
and makes her easy to talk to. past…that’s why I’m studying the be regarded as a science because
Obtaining the opportunity of political side of it as well. If you there’s so much scientific specific
an interview in an increasingly understand what’s happened in the methodolog y that we have to
busy time for her has been no past you can understand where we apply to make valid historical
problem at all. are and where we’re going”. conclusion”. But surely I put to
This approachability has To the layman history her this micro-history cannot
been aided no doubt by the might seem to be a matter surely be regarded as real
influence of coach John of mainly dwelling on the history? “Once in a seminar”
Blackie in whom she was able past, or perhaps interpreting she replies “we have to argue
to identify several admirable factual material to produce whether it was real history or
qualities. Through him she a different slant on a long not history. It didn’t follow the
has gained the stability of established definition, scientific pattern of real history…
confidence through the but amongst budding as in what we realise as science but
knowledge of his experience historians, there is that then it did because it did follow
and what works. An intuitive increasingly attractive everything that happened but
