I'm trusting the process and the professionals'

Olympian Sam Quek on her Strictly challenge and why the elitz and glamour of the ballroom is a dream come true

- LUCY ROBINSON

Having won 125 international caps for the England and Great Britain women’s hockey teams, a Gold Medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and an MBE for Services to Hockey, it’s fair to say that Sam Quek has carved out quite the career on the pitch. But while she may be used to the pressure of competing in front of crowds, the watchful eyes of dancing fans is quite a leap out of her comfort zone. Sam is embarking on a whole new adventure by taking on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing alongside pro dancer Nikita Kuzmin – and thankfully, she’s loving every moment of it.

“Training for Strictly is so different from the Olympics. I’ve played hockey since I was 10 and going into an Olympic final, you have all that experience and it becomes almost second nature, so you can focus on different things like the opposition and external factors which are going to get you over the edge. With Strictly, and learning from scratch, everything you thought about dancing is completely different,” she tells OK!.

“It’s a different fitness as well. Everyone’s like, you’ll be fine, you’ll be fit. But dance is about being able to hold the position and do it with such poise and strength while looking effortless. With hockey I’m bent over, but with ballroom I’m extending the back, which is a completely different direction to what my back wants to do. It’s a challenge but Nikita’s walking me through it and guiding me.”

Although it may be completely new to her, it’s clear Sam is not one to back down from a challenge. While the thought of dancing in front of millions of TV viewers across the country may send others, understandably, into a nervous spiral, the 35-year-old is embracing the test that comes with learning a new skill. And with Nikita by her side, she’s feeling positive.