Chambers lights the way

Chambers: Anti-drugs.

It's easy for me to say 'don't take drugs even though I've done it' but I've lived through the consequences and seen how hard they are should it happen to anyone else. Especially in Britain. And if I can have a say in what routes athletes should take we can look forward to a cleaner sport

Dwain Chambers
Quotes of the week

Also see

• Chambers interview part one
• Chambers interview part two
• Chambers interview part four


• Chambers interview part five


• Chambers: A year in pictures

Dwain Chambers believes he should be given the opportunity to become an inspirational figure for promising youngsters on and off the track.

It's been more than five long years since the British sprinter was caught for using the banned steroid THG but whether he's the right man to spread the anti-drugs message and be seen as a role model in athletics has sparked much debate.

Earlier this year Chambers, who has admitted to taking a cocktail of other performance-enhancing substances during a period from 2002 until 2003, met with UK Sport's director of Drug-Free Sport John Scott to provide vital information which could help catch today's cheats.

The 30-year-old handed over a revealing letter written by Victor Conte, his former supplier at the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO), which revealed the full details of his doping programme and the extreme lengths users go through in their attempts to beat the system.

This is only the start of an on-going relationship between Chambers and UK Sport, emphasising just how desperate he is to prevent others following a similar path which has led him to so much turmoil.

Having experienced the culture of drug use from within and suffering the severe repercussions, Chambers is unique from most other anti-doping campaigners and believes his clean accomplishments will be powerfully effective.

"I'm so supportive of the non-use of drugs in sport and I'm working with UK Sport on that," said the world indoor silver medallist, who has often been pictured wearing a 'Just Say No' T-shirt. "In a chapter in my autobiography I'll express my views on what tactics we should use to get drugs out of sport.

"There is a lot what I am trying to do and I strongly hope it will help me and athletics in the long run.

"It's easy for me to say 'don't take drugs even though I've done it' but I've lived through the consequences and seen how hard they are should it happen to anyone else. Especially in Britain. And if I can have a say in what routes athletes should take we can look forward to a cleaner sport.

"Ultimately that's the way forward. I want my son to run so I have to make sure I stay strong against what I did and let people know that it is wrong and there are positive alternatives to get the right clean performances and I'm all for that."

The Truth

In his forthcoming autobiography 'Race Against Me', to be released on March 1 2009, Chambers lifts the lid on the full truth behind his drug taking past and how he's dealt with the resulting damage to his career.

And after a rollercoaster year which has seen him blasted in the press by some established names in British sport from Lord Sebastian Coe to Daley Thompson, the Belgrave Harrier can't wait to balance the scales.

He said: "Writing the book has been hurting my brain but it's also very therapeutic because you can get everything off your chest. It's going to give everyone an insight into who I am and then they'll be able to understand me. And that's what is going to be important for me.

"People are going to be more interested about what's happened the last five years and that's what a lot of the book is focused on. It includes my views on why I took drugs, how I went about it, how I felt and obviously the aftermath.

"It even opened my eyes because I didn't actually realise what I was doing in that situation at the time. It wasn't until I started writing when I realised the scale of what I was actually doing. It's not a kiss and tell type of book, it's an insight into my life.

"I hope the book will level the playing field so to speak and give the reader from the outside more balance to what's been going on.

"I've been pretty much forced to keep my mouth shut for a while which has been difficult. I've had to let my legs do the talking throughout the season but now I have the opportunity to speak and offer the second side of the story instead of one.

"It's not out to upset anyone, just to bring balance to the situation."

Team spirit

As well as channelling his energy into keeping athletics as clean as possible, Chambers is also determined to pass on his sprinting skills and expertise to the next wave of British track stars.

Craig Pickering, 22, Simeon Williamson, 22, and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, 20, are widely regarded as three of the country's brightest hopes for the future while Tyrone Edgar and Mark Lewis-Francis are still only 26.

However none of these London 2012 hopefuls have yet to dip under 10 seconds in their relatively short careers so words of advice from such a master technician could perhaps be the turning point towards greater success.

Chambers does indeed have a master plan that can reap rewards at next year's World Championships and beyond but he needs support from fellow members of the team to help maximise its potential.

He said: "My approach this winter is to try and get as many British athletes together to train with one another and help us go out and perform better as a county rather than individuals.

"If you notice the Americans, the Jamaicans, the Russians and the Chinese work together as a team and come up with good performances. So we need to get everyone pulling in the same direction so we can do as best we can at the World Championships.

"I believe if we lose our egos and work together properly the likes of Harry, Pickering, Simeon and Edgar are the next four to take the mantelpiece - once I'm gone that is! All those kids can do well and the faster I run the more they will improve and push each other.

"We still have the likes of Christian Malcolm, Marlon Devonish and Mark Lewis-Francis that are still hanging on and have years left to make more impact. And it's our job to encourage those below us to take over when we're gone.

"There are also great individuals on the women's side too like Emily Freeman, Marilyn Okoro and Jeanette Kwayke, who had a fantastic year. These athletes have so much potential and I notice they are working very closely with sports development at the Picketts Lock track and facilities."

Such drive and enthusiasm to give something back to a sport which has seemingly attempted to throw him on the scrapheap is certainly admirable and proves this born-again speed demon still has so much still to offer.

Role model

He said: "I'm also working very hard on a Chambers Sunday Session at Picketts Lock helping the youngsters work on things they have less knowledge in that I can help.

"I'm just trying to play my part to motivate as many people as I can during my time in the sport.

"I like the thought of doing coaching when I stop competing. I didn't want to before but I have the talent, ability and information to give to people and it's not for the money, it's for the love I have for the sport and how I can help others improve.

"I just wish I had the opportunity or the role models to help me when I was 22 and 23. If I did I would have never gone down the road I did go down, but I am now in a position to prevent those youngsters doing the same thing. I am confident British athletics can pick up over the next three or four years."

Since his initial rise to prominence in the late 1990s and subsequent fall from grace, Chambers has become arguably the most talked about British track athlete of his generation.

But after yet another year of controversy and negative publicity having failed to overturn his lifetime Olympic ban, he's now eager to turn the jeers into cheers.

He said: "Now I'm hoping I can keep athletics on the back pages and even on the front pages next year with my performances and also by targeting Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell because that's my next serious objective.

"I know I can keep athletics alive and I really enjoy doing it so the more publicity we can get the better and I'll do my hardest to pull it along."