Get to know…Katie Wright

For this week’s chosen member we are joined to a fairly new member of the team in the form of Katie Wright. If you get down to track early on a Monday night then you will normally see a lone figure doing reps around the track, this would normally be Katie making the most of being child free and doing what she enjoys best – just running. The first thing that strikes you about Katie is her very warm smile and her bubbly nature and, until I read the below, her good sense of humour. Katie has been a fine asset to the women’s team and has participated in many of the club races since joining Arena. Now please enjoy this week’s Q&A’s as much as i did with Katie Wright…take it away Katie.
Name: Katie Wright 
1. When and why did you join Arena:
September 2017. I’m friends with Katherine and she really encouraged me to join. I’ve done circuits with Dani for years and stalked Tara on Strava, so I knew it was a good team to join – not only in standard but also good people. 
2. How long have you been running:
Since I was 12. I was a swimmer. But I heard about the English School Athletics Championships and naively announced to my PE teacher that I was going to compete in it. He explained that you had to be selected and it was quite an ambitious expectation for someone who didn’t actually compete in athletics. I joined an athletics club. Qualified in the 100m but asked if I could do the 200m instead. Amazingly – the selectors said yes, and I went off to Sheffield and came 18th out of 19! I came 9th a few years later in Exeter but wasn’t allowed to take part in the flag parade because someone told the team manager that I’d been kissing a boy after lights out. (It was one kiss – kiss of death – he went from English schools champ to getting knocked out in the heats!) (I didn’t tell my husband I was including that story – sorry Ben) (it wasn’t him BTW – awkward!).
3. Where did you grow up:
I was born in Guildford, but as my Dads a Civil Engineer and it was the 80’s we moved around allot! I spent almost all of my school years in a tiny Northamptonshire village, just outside a tiny town called Oundle. It’s very pretty. 
4. What is something you want to do in the next five years:
I’ve done most things I’ve wanted to do – became a wife, a mum, and run a marathon. Perhaps I’d just like to do all those things a little better. In different locations. 
5. What do you think was the most important invention in the last 100 years:
Ummmmm, I don’t know! Maybe speed golf??? As actual golf takes far too long! Is that an invention? Let’s move on. 
6. You have charge of the TV remote, what are you watching:
I have charge??? What not the kids??? Not Ben?? How late is it??? Isn’t there not something else that needs doing?? Wow, this doesn’t happen often…… if only I was actually able to sit still long enough to watch something. Something really, really trashy, so I can mess about on my phone at the same time, and read a magazine! 
7. What would your epitaph say:
So being dyslexic I had to copy and paste “epitaph” in to google and it told me – it’s an inscription on a tombstone. I then had to google “inscription” and it’s told me that it was a “thing inscribed, as on a monument or in a book” So I googled “inscribed” I’ve now forgotten the question! 
8. What do you think about the most:
Running – followed closely by “when does coffee time become wine time?”.
9. Tell us about something you’re proud to have achieved at any time in your life:
Becoming a mum. My kids are amazing. They are intense, hyperactive, crazy humans that never keep still or stop talking! They have me as their mum – poor little things. 
10. What would be the hardest thing for you to give up:
Running followed closely by coffee and wine! 
11. What’s something that you aren’t:
Short of words. I just can’t spell many long ones. So I guess I’m not short of short words. 
12. What is your one weakness:
Weakness?? I’m struggling….. is not being able to identify one weakness a weakness?? I’m not great with numbers (being dyslexic) so find kilometres and miles very confusing…. so trying to work out how fast I need to run each KM / mile for a marathon has taken up a huge amount of time and I’m still confused! 
13. What do you miss from your childhood:
Sleeping! I miss sleeping so much. Sometimes I used to sleep until lunchtime if I felt like it! Lunchtime! 
14. What music are you listening to right now:
Mainly Moana on repeat. Although Teddy (he’s 2) got very good at “Jingle Bells” over the Christmas period. Just “Jingle Bells, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle bellllllllllls” 
15. Tell us something we don’t know about you:
there’s probably not much I’ve not told you already – if you’ve been in ear range! I’m not very good at keeping anything to myself – before I’ve even thought it I’ve said it. I haven’t learnt how to think before I speak. I also talk more when I’m nervous. Which is quite often because I’m often worrying that I haven’t actually got anything interesting to say! 
16. Who is your sporting hero:
my brother, he’s just one of those people who has ultimate confidence in himself and his abilities and therefore always achieves his ambitions. 
17. You have a day to yourself, what will you do:
get up early and run then get back in to bed and sleep till lunchtime. 
18. Apart from running what else do you like to do in your free time:
I do a lot of Mum-ing. And a tiny bit of Wife-ing. I’d like to do more Wife-ing. But mum-ing and running are quite time-consuming! 
19. Last gig you went to:
Wow! It would have been before I had children! I saw Tom Jones once! Actual Tom Jones. Not on the TV Tom Jones. 
20. If you could do anything you like what would you do:
I’d like to run / hike the Pacific Crest trail from Mexico to Canada. I know it’s meant to be a hike but I know I’d have to run parts too. Me and Ben often talk about what we’d do if we had the time and funds and it’s always something that comes up. Possibly because I bring it up! 
Our biggest thanks to Katie for her Q&A’s this week and we hope that you feel that you have now got to know Katie a little better. Check back next Wednesday for another set of Q&A’s with our chosen club member.