Olympian Dina Asher-Smith on gifts for relaxation and recovery

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I love to sleep; my friends even call me Sleeping Beauty. Eight to 10 hours is ideal. It’s unlikely I’ll get that [in the holidays] this year, though, as my mum is like Mrs Christmas. I’ll be waking up to the sounds of “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday” from about 8am. I probably won’t come out of my room until 10am in protest. It’s funny because she mourns the days when I was up early on Christmas morning and she’d have to tell me to go back to sleep! I remind her that I believed in Santa then. 

December in London is really special. There’s ice skating, mulled wine, decorations. Going to the pub with friends, out for dinner and just spending time popping between different family homes is my favourite way to spend the season. I also love shopping on Oxford Street. It’s some people’s idea of hell, but when so much of my life is times, counting reps and pushing through pain, there’s something really nice about mindlessly roaming shops thinking about other people. You also find cute little gifts browsing that you don’t come across online.

We have a lot of traditions. My dad’s Jamaican, so we start the day with a traditional breakfast. We have bread, plantain, honey-roasted ham, hot pepper sauce, Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee, and hot chocolate done the Jamaican way. It’s very different to European hot chocolate; you use pure chocolate and it’s grated. We don’t eat our lunch until around 3-4pm. I love the stuffing and potatoes, but I try to not overeat because my stomach won’t handle it. I still have to train [during the holiday period] — training stops for nothing — but I usually take Christmas Day off. I’ve been running a lot on the track in the Nike Streakfly, so I think they’re a good gift for runners. People love getting new running things at Christmas.

When so much of my life is counting reps and pushing through pain, there’s something really nice about mindlessly roaming shops thinking about other people

I make a gift list for my loved ones throughout the year, writing things down in my Notes app if they mention something, or if I see them looking wistfully at something. That way, I can get them something they actually want, otherwise it’s a waste of money.

My parents are semi-retired and travelling a lot, so I might get them a camera or some personalised luggage. Gifting is about what someone else will find useful, or cherish, rather than something I think they should have.

I love giving gifts that I’ve tried and tested myself. A good example is jeans from Victoria Beckham. They aren’t the obvious choice, but her jeans are criminally underrated. Athletic women like me often struggle with the fit of denim, but hers are perfect. I’m a fashion girl, and something on my own wish list this year is the Nike x Bode Rec black shirt. I’d wear it on Christmas Day. My parents wear ugly Christmas jumpers, but I refuse. 

Games are really fun gifts to give. Every year, we get a new edition of Monopoly and play it with my uncle’s family. I definitely get my competitiveness from them. Christmas Day usually ends when someone has a hissy fit because they’re losing. The Lego MoMA sets are little pieces of art that are really fun and cultured; I got one for my friend Sophie a few years ago. You can display them afterwards at home. 

There are some gifts that are always classic. I think sunglasses or beautiful bags are timeless. Candles are great, too, especially from Diptyque — 34 is my favourite. Scent helps foster a calm, spa-like environment at home, which is something I try to achieve because my job and being in the public eye can be really stressful at times. When I get home, I want time to stand still. 

I take relaxation and recovery seriously. One of the best gifts I ever received was a silk eye mask. With training, I sometimes need to go to sleep at 1pm, and we fly a lot, too. Being able to knock yourself out on demand is a skill, so the eye mask helps. If people have busy jobs, or young kids, they should give themselves sleep if they can. Going into a new year not feeling exhausted is a great gift to yourself.

Dina Asher-Smith is a sprinter, an Olympic silver medallist and the fastest British woman on record.

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