Sept - Dec 2008 Edition
Click on this link for Kanye West's
exclusive Interview
Interviews for Double Olympic gold medalist swimming sensation - Rebecca Adlington and Olympic Boxing gold medalist - James Degale are below. Enjoy!
Rebecca Adlington
James Degale
TOSH Magazine swimming exclusively
with Olympic Gold medallist
Rebecca Adlington
TOSH Mag's team met up with James Degale - The New Boxing sensation
Missing you - Brandy, Gladys Knight, Tamia & Chaka Khan
TOSH Magazine
: I can not believe that we are in the same room with a legend. Wow!
Rebecca Adlington
: (Smiles) .... and who would that be? (Rebecca looks around the studio)
TOSH Magazine
: Funny... Very funny, Dame Rebecca!
Rebecca Adlington
: There you go again, teasing me. You know and I know that I am no Dame....
TOSH Magazine
: Well, not for long....
Rebecca Adlington
: If you say so.
TOSH Magazine
: I am just mimicking what your team mate (Cassie Patten) said after you won that amazing gold in the 800m freestyle at the Beijing Olympics. Not forgetting the fact that you smashed a 20 year old world record in the process. Cassie turned to the cameras then and said, ' The Queen, if you are watching - (pointing to you) Dame Rebecca.
Rebecca Adlington
: (Laughs) Well, those were golden memories for me. I really enjoyed that.
TOSH Magazine
: I hope you are not dodging away from the 'Dame' topic? Are you expecting to get that honourary title in the new year?
Rebecca Adlington
: There is no getting away from this 'Dame' topic. Well, I'm just focussing on my career and training procedures which had started already. Anything else that comes alondside is a bonus.
TOSH Magazine
: Talk us through that legendary moment when you smashed the 20 year old world record at Beijing.
Rebecca Adlington
: Well, i would never forget that day - 16 August 2008. I remember setting a British, Commonwealth, European and Olympic record in the preliminary heats. After doing a 8:18:06, I was like wow. Amazing stuff. You train hard and I mean very hard, but you only dream of these kind of stuff. However I ensured I was focused inspire of the fact everyone expected me to just jump in the pool and win the gold in the finals. I told myself, it would all count for nothing unless I succeed in the finals. I gave it all my best and when I saw the time - 8:14:10, I was in a state of shock. Unbelievable stuff.
TOSH Magazine
: And in the process, you broke Janet Evan's 20 year old world record - The swimming's longest standing world record. You were also 6 full seconds ahead of the silver medalist. With all due respect, that is phenomenal! You must be a fish or somethin!
Rebecca Adlington
: Thank you. It is simply amazing. It still feels like it's a dream.
TOSH Magazine
: Well let me diversify a bit. Is it true that your grandfather was a professional footballer?
Rebecca Adlington
: Yes. He actually was a goalkeeper. How in heavens did you know about that?
TOSH Magazine
: Well, this is what we do. His name was Terry Adlington and he played for Derby County.
Rebecca Adlington
: Accurate.
TOSH Magazine
: It's a pity that this is a short interview. Promise us that when you win 4 gold medals in London Olympics 2012 - you would give us an exclusive.
Rebecca Adlington
: 4 gold medals? I am modest. I might not even be around then.
TOSH Magazine
: Hmmm. Well our dream is for you to do 'Phelps' in 2012. It is good to dream.
Rebecca Adlington
: I will keep on dreaming then. But thank you for your support. TOSH Magazine is doing a great job by the way. Keep it up!
TOSH Magazine
: Thank you. That is massive coming from you.
James Degale
: This is TOSH Magazine saying whatzup to all our fans. And today we have - James Degale in our studios....
TOSH Magazine
: Wow. James, you are doing even better than me in my field. Should we swop places?
James Degale
: You mean you want to be a boxer?
TOSH Magazine
: (Laughs) No way in this world. I would not last a round at any weight level.
James Degale
: You never know!
TOSH Magazine
: No thank you. How are you by the way. You are now a millionaire and a professional boxer! What next?
James Degale
: A millionaire? I don't think so. Well, what next? I would love to get my hands on a title and a belt in 2009.
TOSH Magazine
: We wish you all the best. Let us take you back to 2006. Do you remember the Commonwealth Games in 2006?
James Degale
: Oh I do. How can you forget your launch into limelight?
TOSH Magazine
: I saw your fight against Darren Sutherland. That was close though. It was your first qualifying fight and it was 23-22.
James Degale
: Yeah that was make or break for me. I can't imagine what would had happened to me if I had lost that fight.
TOSH Magazine
: And then you won the Bronze losing to Jarrod Fletcher.
James Degale
: It was hard contrary what people might think. It certainly wasn't all about money. A lot of things and misunderstandings occurred between me and the Boxing association which I would not go into now. I had to sit with my family and think it over. At the end, I thought I am an Olympic gold medallist. I need to go out of my comfort zone and be a world beater and champ.
TOSH Magazine
: Going back to the newly professional contract you agreed with Frank Warren, how hard was it for you going professional when London 2012 was round the corner?
James Degale
: I thought I would beat Jarrod but at the end he caught me out in the cold. I give it to him but that is history now.
TOSH Magazine
: Thank you for being sincere and open to us and your fans. That would have cleared a lot of things. Did you ever dream whilst in China that you could actually win the gold medal?
James Degale
: If you do not believe in yourself, you are done for. Well that is what I think anywayz. You just have to believe. I mean I had to fight a guy who had previously beaten me 4 times out of 5. That was not easy but with the help of my coach we went for it.
TOSH Magazine
: Are you reffering to Irishman Darren Sutherland?
James Degale
: You got that right. It was however so sweet when I beat him in the semi-finals. That was sweeeter than honey menn.
TOSH Magazine
: Was that the toughest of them all?
James Degale
: No. It would be Cuban Emilio Correa whom I fought in the finals.
TOSH Magazine
: You can say that again. I must agree with you on that one. He bit you just like Tyson did Holyfield didn't he?
James Degale
: Yes he did but it was my shoulder he bit. He was actually deducted two points in the first round for that action.
TOSH Magazine
: I see. I also recollect you won the quarter final fight in the same Middleweight boxing event against Bakhtiyar Artayev. (The gold medallist from Athens 2004)
James Degale
: That was another tough one. He was pure class. After I won that fight I felt truly the gold medal was within my reach.
TOSH Magazine
: James, congratulations again on your new signed contract. We wish you all the best in your career.
James Degale
: Thanks menn. Nice one.