“I have two jobs just so I am kitted up, so I have good running trainers and spikes. And pay everything to do with sports.” Said Sandra Dike

22, year old Sandra Dike is an athlete that has two part time jobs just so she can train three to four times a week, with work being unbalance she feels isolated.

£2000 spent a year alone just on sports, this is towards memberships, competitions, track pass, travel/transport, accommodation and kit.

Sandra believes she will never be successful in the sport of athletics and its all for fun but also a good way for stress relief, “there will be days where I’m really angry and I just go to the track and I feel a lot better,” She said.

“I live on my own, pay my own bills, sports it’s just makes sure I’m just keeping fit.”

Sandra works Monday to Friday working back to back, morning shift as a receptionist at a gym and her second job a sales assistant at JD Sports.

Her work schedule isn’t consistent, so if she can’t make training at the track, she finds herself training alone most times having 1:1 session but without the rest of her group.

Or she has put her own programme together for those days she isn’t at the track training she will be in the gym.

Even though she has a track pass, the track isn’t available to use in the morning, so she finds herself training at a park with her coach.

“you get different type of people, some like to work with a group and some that don’t mind to work individually. I am both,” said Sandra.

Being around people helps her push herself and also being on different surfaces, the whole training environment is different.

Due to financial reasons Sandra has to work and maintain bills and tailor her lifestyle around sports. This also limits her social life, so by doing sports helps her feel more involved in the community.

“last seasons handing my finances was easier, because I lived with my family and I only had one job with a consistent timetable, “I do both jobs to have that extra income even if I don’t need the money”

Because of this Sandra believes work like can get in the way of sport, she is lucky she has a god coach behind her that is supportive and able to adapt to he, but she believes things need to change so more people are physically active.