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00:00Tell me your story first of all, you were due to run in the 1500m but due to the day
00:05it was going to take place, you chose to take part in the 800m.
00:09Tell me from your perspective the story.
00:14To be honest, I trained more for the 1500 because naturally that's what I seem to be
00:18better at.
00:19If the 1500 was available, that's what I'd do but it's been the case throughout the years,
00:26it's either been the 800 or the 1500 that's on Saturday or Sunday, it's one or the other.
00:32A few years ago it was both of them were on the Sunday so I just didn't do the Nationals
00:36at all.
00:37So it was the heats on Saturday, the finals on Sunday so I just didn't bother running
00:40at all.
00:41But it's kind of always been the case where one or the other will be on Saturday or Sunday
00:46so I kind of train for both, I'm just better at the 1500.
00:51So this time I trained, I prepared for the 800 and that's how it happened to be this
00:56year anyway.
00:57Sure and because of your faith that was never going to be brought into question, you weren't
01:07prepared to run on a Sunday, is that correct?
01:10No, I mean there have been heaps of races and competitions where I've just not done
01:14because it's on the Sunday.
01:15I got to the British Unis finals the last two years in a row but the finals were on
01:19Sunday so I just don't do them, I just withdraw before.
01:23Which is a shame but again it's not a decision for me, it's not a question, it's just the
01:30way I live it.
01:31Sure, yeah.
01:32Because faith, it's a major part of your life, it comes first before everything else, yeah?
01:39Absolutely.
01:40Cool, cool.
01:41Were you aware of Eric Liddell's story beforehand?
01:48I was very, very aware of it.
01:50I've been growing up in a Christian family and my dad being a runner and my uncle being
01:55a runner, it was very much, I grew up with it.
01:58It was a movie we'd watch, well I'd want to watch every Sunday sort of thing.
02:04I remember in primary school when we'd have to do a talk about someone famous, I would
02:09pick Eric Liddell without fail every single time so I was very aware of his life story
02:13and Chariots of Fire I could probably recite which, yeah, it's my favourite movie by Miles.
02:24So I was very aware of his story and the decision he made and it's kind of always someone I've
02:28always looked up to because of that.
02:31Even before I got into running fully I was always kind of engrossed by what he did, even
02:38when I wasn't in running but then when I came into running even more so it kind of just
02:43took over me a bit and I always tried to lead a life like he did and then it's happened
02:50to be very, very similar, not to the same level but not a bad comparison I guess.
02:55Yeah, it's still at a very good level becoming a national champion.
03:01In terms of the race then, 1,500, 800 metres, it's two different distances, do you approach
03:08it differently or is it the same kind of mindset?
03:11Yeah, I mean you have to approach them differently, they're very similar but very, very different.
03:18I mean when you watch them, I mean the Olympics just happened, when you watch them there they're
03:21both run very, very differently but so the 800 is just fast from the gun and it hurts
03:30the whole way whereas the 1,500 you don't know when it's going to hurt and it just hits
03:35you all of a sudden so you can have to, I've done enough of both where I kind of know what
03:39to expect but every race is different, you kind of go in with your plan and try to make
03:46the best of it.
03:48My plan the weekend was, I wasn't the favourite to win it, I was ranked fourth going in I
03:52think so I was kind of just, my plan was just to react to everyone else's move and make
03:57sure I reacted first and I did, had a plan going in and I kind of jumbled it up and made
04:04my own plan as I was going around the laps and just reacted to everything I could and
04:09then when I did make my move, make sure it was decisive enough to give myself a gap in
04:15the race.
04:16I was kind of just aiming to get a medal, I mean I speak to my coach before and he said
04:19just make sure you get, if you can, get your first national medal out of the way, it doesn't
04:23matter what colour, just get the medal.
04:25If it happens to be gold then we'll speak about that when we get there and it happened
04:30to be gold.
04:31Cool.
04:32So this is the first time you've become a national champion?
04:35Yeah, yeah, I ran last year and I came fifth, a medal was even more of an outside chance
04:42last year, I wasn't disappointed because I probably finished about where I should have
04:47been, obviously I've got a very high standard myself so I was a bit disappointed but it
04:51was about right for then but I was ranked fourth going in, I was expecting a medal but
04:59I had a feeling I was capable of it and God carried me to it, it felt like I was carried
05:08through that whole race because it felt easier than it should have so I definitely felt someone
05:14was with me for those two laps anyway.
05:17Have you had much experience in competing in 800 metres before or were you solely dedicated
05:22for 1500, that's your specialist distance?
05:27I've had enough experience, you naturally move up the distances as you get a bit older,
05:34I'm only 22 but I've had experience in both events quite a lot.
05:38I used to prefer the 800 and I remember my coach telling me I'm better at the 1500 and
05:42I was a bit disappointed when he said that because I didn't like the 1500 at all.
05:47So it took about a year to get to grips with the 1500, then I got to grips with the 1500
05:53and then this year I've had to do the 800 again so it's kind of been flipping and flapping
05:57between the two events.
06:00So I have had plenty of experience but over the last couple of years it's been more focused
06:04on the 1500 because that's where I've run better times and performed better anyway so
06:11it was a bit weird going back to the 800 this year especially.
06:16And how did you first get involved in athletics, tell me a bit about your background.
06:21So I played football for Inverness Cali at the under 12 level, so I was quite good at
06:29football, I was very much into football anyway but that didn't work out, the games were on
06:35Sunday for Cali as well actually so I would play the Saturday ones and then I just stopped
06:40getting picked, I don't want to assume but maybe it's because they didn't see me as being
06:44as committed as other footballers so I stopped getting picked despite scoring a few goals
06:49and then eventually I had a conversation with my dad, he was a runner when he was younger
06:54and he was like you're quick, why don't you get running a shot.
06:58My uncle was a very good runner as well, very, very good Commonwealth Games runner so I was
07:03kind of always bound to go that direction eventually and I carried on with football
07:08until I was about 15 and then just slowly went to running after that.
07:15So it's kind of always been there and there about because I was quite quick as a footballer
07:18but then quickly moved and tapped legs after, I always did a bit of it because it's good
07:22for fitness anyway and then I just loved, loved the feeling of running fast really.
07:27What was your dad and uncle's names if you don't mind me asking?
07:30My dad is Paul Davidson and my uncle's Mark Davidson.
07:33Okay, cool, cool.
07:35So quite inspirations in your running yeah?
07:37Yeah, yeah, I mean some would say a bit of pressure on it having my uncle being a Commonwealth
07:43Games athlete, my cousin as well, Jane, she won the Scotch title last year for her event.
07:49So it's very much in the family, a bit of pressure and I've never been able to quite
07:54match it but for the first time I actually have which is a bit weird.
07:58Cool, cool.
07:59And I think you're coached by Ross Cairns, is that correct?
08:02Yeah.
08:03And you managed to get the fine balance between your faith and the training and athletics
08:09that you maybe didn't find in football, yes?
08:11Yeah, I mean Ross was always in Buenos Aires when I was there and then when I moved up
08:18from the younger junior age groups into a more senior or under 15, a bit older, getting
08:24into your middle teens, Ross became the coach and mentioned it straight away, oh I don't
08:31run Sundays, wasn't an issue, didn't bat an eyelid and said that's fine, didn't question
08:36it twice, there's a few races on Sundays, he didn't even offer these races to me, just
08:41knew I couldn't do them so he would find another option or an alternative instead.
08:46And even when it comes to training, Sunday long runs are very common for runners.
08:51My Sunday long run is broken up between Monday, Wednesday, Fridays or just split up differently.
08:58So he's worked training it without even batting an eyelid, he kind of just gets it,
09:01that's my decision.
09:03He sees it as bigger than running, which as a coach is quite rare, usually coaches are
09:07very invested in the sport of the coach but Ross obviously gets that my faith is a lot
09:13more important than running despite how important running is to him, which I really appreciate.
09:19It's very rare to see and I've been very grateful for that and I don't think I'd be
09:25anywhere near the level I would be without him being involved and obviously my dad being
09:30the assistant coach as well made a heck of a difference to it.
09:34I see you wearing a Christians in Sport t-shirt, is that a charity or an organisation?
09:41It's a Christian, basic Christian sport organisation.
09:45They basically support Christians who are in sport at any level.
09:50So they run like kids camps, teens camps.
09:53At the start of every year they call it New Year's training where students can all gather
09:58from across Scotland and meet together for a weekend away.
10:03They support people all the way up to Olympians, it's a really great organisation.
10:08They did over lockdown, they were doing quizzes and they were very much Christian based but
10:13they love their sport.
10:16I've met the director and he's an amazing guy, absolute inspiration to me as well.
10:20I've heard him speak and he's brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
10:23He inspired me this year especially, I had a chat with him and he said if there's any
10:27questions just fire a message to him and if I get to a level they send people out to
10:32you.
10:32So he told me that they've had a few Olympians go out or world champions go out and that
10:38someone from Christians in Sport will go out with them and almost help them with a bible
10:42study throughout.
10:44But it's a brilliant organisation, I've been very much involved, well as involved as I
10:49can be.
10:50They run a Christians in Sport breakfast for the students in Aberdeen where I'm based at
10:54the moment and all the Christians who are involved in Sport meet up in the morning for
11:00a breakfast and a wee devotional in the morning which is really nice.
11:04Again it kind of shows that that's what's important to me and I'll work training around
11:08that sort of thing rather than work that around my training.
11:12It really helps you find the balance and keeps your priorities straight really.
11:19Now you're 800 metres champion, what's for you next now?
11:22Are you looking to take it a step further perhaps or what's your objectives?
11:27I mean I wasn't really thinking about it until it happened.
11:31I mean I've always said I just want to take running as far as I can but it's more as far
11:36as God wants me to take it really.
11:39So I've always had the prayer of I want to be used, I want to be a Christian example
11:46in Sport, how Eric Lauder was and that was always a dream of mine.
11:49It was always a prayer I had to be used in this sort of way and now this has happened
11:54it's kind of, I hope it's happening, God willing it's happening now.
12:00So if God willing I can go as far as I can in Sport whether that's only to British, only
12:04if this is my peak so be it.
12:08Obviously I'd like to make the Olympics, it's a pipe dream but everyone dreams of the Olympics
12:12I suppose but it's always God willing if that's God's will for me then I'll do it.
12:18If not it's God's will anyway, I can't do anything about it.