Q&A with Team GB gymnast Joe Fraser

Peak performance is powered by great sleep, which is something that Team GB gymnast Joe Fraser knows only too well ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

In this exclusive interview, he tells us all about why prioritising sleep creates ‘one percenters’, how his bedroom has evolved over time, and what his nighttime routine looks like as he prepares to compete on the world stage.

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The full interview with Joe Fraser

Where did your Olympic dream begin?

‘For me, my earliest memory of the Olympics was probably 2008, watching Lewis Smith make history and getting a pommel horse medal. And then all of a sudden I had this dream of getting to the five rings.’

And what about your love of gymnastics?

‘My mum took me to my first gymnastics club because I was somersaulting on the sofas, and she just thought I was either going to get hurt myself or I was going to break something in the house.

‘Along I went, one day a week, doing one hour, and then that soon became two days, three days, and before I knew it, it was my full time job!’

Joe Fraser holding a Dreams Team GB Gold label before it's attached to his mattress

Tell us all about your childhood bedroom!

‘My childhood bedroom was definitely Olympic obsessed. I had parallette bars, there was a beam for my sister, and we were just constantly trying to do somersaults on the floor and making noise. And then probably my mum would come upstairs and tell us to keep the noise down!

‘I always used to have gymnastics routines on my walls where I’d be able to dream about what I wanted to achieve one day. And now it’s, it’s the same; I had the countdown to the Olympic Games. I’ve always got that in my mind: what’s the next goal, what’s the next aim?’

Joe Fraser with his print of a lion, as pictured in his Dreams bedroom

Has anything ever stood in the way of your dreams?

‘Throughout my career, I’ve had a lot of injuries and obstacles I’ve had to overcome. My parents got me this picture of the lion [above] a few years ago, and it really resonated with me, because he’s got a lot of scars on his body.

‘He’s clearly been through the wars, and still sat there proud, in the wild, ready to go again. I felt that was kind of like myself.’

How do you wind down for a great night's sleep?

‘When I’m going to bed, the last hour beforehand is quite relaxed. I’ve become really into chess, so me and my girlfriend have been playing chess quite a lot recently.

‘I like to hope that I can get a win on the chessboard before we go to bed, then I just turn the lights off, and before I know it, I’m out like a light!’

Joe Fraser playing chess in his Dreams bedroom.

What does your bedroom mean to you?

‘My bedroom, for me, is an opportunity to relax and take myself away from the sport. Gymnastics has been my life for the last 20 years, and I’ve loved every second of it. But now, when I get the opportunity to take myself away from it, I like to relax, think about my family, recover.

‘We always talk about one percenters in gymnastics, and the things that can make 1% difference to your performance. Sleep is definitely one of the things that I feel can make such a huge difference in my personal career, for sure.’

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