Dedicated, driven and damn fast, Fiona Oakes is a tremendous inspiration. A former Olympic cyclist, Fiona now runs an animal sanctuary in the U.K. and competes as an elite marathoner. Having cared for a number of abused or abandoned animals as kid, I can't imagine caring for 260 animals, let alone going out for a training run everyday. I can barely stay in shape just taking care of myself. So I wanted to find out how Fiona does it, so I asked her...

Bradley Saul: How did you get into competitive running?

Fiona Oakes: As a result of me not having time to concentrate fully on my cycling. When we bought the Sanctuary in 1998 and rescued animals started to arrive 'thick and fast' I found I no longer had the time to put the hours of training in required to race bicycles at a very high level. I decided I would stop racing on my bike but found it very hard to be a 'recreational' cyclist as I could not seem to drop my competitive edge, so I thought the only way for me was to stop cycling altogether. After a few weeks I found I needed some sort of exercise in my life as I was beginning to feel lethargic and frustrated. I decided I would take up jogging and started just going out running for pleasure. After a year or so I decided to enter a race - a half Marathon - just to see where I would come and how fit I actually was. I was so shocked to win the ladies race but after that I was truly bitten by the running bug and began training properly to see where I could get to with it.

BS: You were in the Olympics in 1992 for cycling. Were you a vegan then?

FO: Yes, I am now 36 years old and am proud to say I have been vegan for the last 25 of those years. To be honest, when I was cycling it was something I had to 'hide' as it was a different era and the National coaches just would not work with, or take seriously, someone who had - what they thought to be - such a radical diet. Back in the late 1980's early 1990's there were very few role models for vegetarian athletes - let alone vegan ones.

BS: What motivated you to go vegetarian and eventually vegan?

FO: Purely and simply my love for animals. My mother will tell endless stories about how, when I was a child, I never played with dolls - it was always with animals. All I was ever interested in was animals and nature. When I was around 5 or 6 years old I began to understand where meat came from and explained to my mother that because animals were my 'friends' I did not want to eat them. She was great and did not stand in my way at all. Instead of backing away from the idea she embraced it and we set about finding out exactly what was available to eat - not too much in the mid 70's. Then, when I decided to go vegan it was just very much a natural progression. I cannot pretend it was easy at first as the food stuffs available now were not around then. The only way was pretty much to abstain from most foods. I was a typical kid so this was not that easy - especially where sweets and chocolate were concerned!

BS: Have you found it challenging to be a vegan athlete? If so, in what ways?

FO: Physically I have not found it challenging to be a vegan athlete. After all, I have never known any different having been vegan all my adult life. The only challenging side of being a vegan athlete is breaking down the stereotypes which still very much exist in all sport. One of the biggest myths being that you cannot compete at any sport at a high level if you do not eat animal protein and dairy products.

BS: I imagine operating an animal sanctuary requires quite a bit of time. How do you manage to find time for training? Do have any animal training partners?

FO: Yes, managing over 260 animals alone is really hard work. You need to be very dedicated and not require much sleep! A typical day here starts at around 3.30 a.m. and finishes when all the animals are 'sorted out'. On a good day you can be sitting down for your evening meal at 9 p.m. on a bad day - well, don't ask!

I do always find time for my training - especially when training for a Marathon - as I find that sticking to a schedule is the only way to get the mammoth amount of miles in required. If you skip a day and think 'it won't matter' then it is tempting to skip another and another and then you find you have missed a few too many and it is not possible to achieve your goals. I really do put in a lot of hard work running during a Marathon training schedule - which for me is 3 months. I would expect to run between 80 and 100 miles every week, incorporating speed work, distance and strength. However, having said this the animals ALWAYS come first, so if it means putting in my last session at 10 p.m when the animals are put to bed, I will. None of the animals have shown any interest in coming with me training, they say they prefer to chill out here whilst the 'mad human' goes and tires herself out! BS: I grew up wanting to become a vet like the James Herriot books. What inspired you to start your own animal sanctuary?

I don't think I ever consciously set out to 'start' an animal sanctuary. I have always had my own animals but it has gone much deeper than that, I love them all whatever they may be or wherever they are. I would often bring home injured or sick wild animals to care for at home and try to release back into the wild when they were well enough. It was only when I started to look around and observe how, and for what reason, other people kept animals that I began to consider having a more formal refuge for these poor creatures. What I mean by this is that in the UK we are considered a 'nation of animal lovers'. I find this a very misleading statement. Whilst I think the majority of people in this country love THEIR chosen animal, they do not love ALL animals. I have always found it a complete anomaly how people can dote on a cat or dog yet eat a chicken or a pig. I would even go so far as to say hypocritical. We have the RSPCA in England but it only protects the needs of some animals. I have never understood how such an organization can exist in a country where you can keep battery chickens or pigs in fattening units, transport animals hundreds of miles across the country to be slaughtered and have laboratories where animals are tested on in the most horrific fashion. Perhaps I am going into the subject too deeply here so I shall stop!

BS: What can people do to support your efforts?

FO: In general terms if people would consider following an ethical vegan lifestyle it would be fantastic. If they feel they can go out there and show and encourage others to follow the same path, that would be even better. On a more specific theme they could sponsor an animal to help with the feed bills here - which are huge!! They could sponsor me in one of my Marathons, buy from the on-line shop (which costs nothing but a percentage of what they spend comes directly to the Sanctuary). They could tell their friends about the Sanctuary, consider sponsoring an animal as a gift, the list is endless and all set out on the HELP ME page of the website www.towerhillstables.com I always assure people that anything they can do is so very much appreciated and any penny of anything they give goes directly to the animals. I take no wages or expenses and build the website myself, everything goes directly to the animals.

BS: Thanks Fiona, and keep up the great work!