Olympic hammer throw hopeful Sophie Hitchon is 'former ballet dancer'

London, July 23 (ANI): British hammer thrower Sophie Hitchon, who has pledged to put the glamour into hammer at the Olympics, dreamed of becoming a professional dancer as a child and took ballet classes for 12 years.

But at the age of 14, she discovered a new, unlikely hobby - the hammer throw.

Now, the size 10 athlete hopes to bring the power sport to a new audience when she competes at the Games.

"My job is sort of a block in the conversation. People ask 'what do you do?' and I say, 'I'm a hammer-thrower' and they just have no idea what to say to that," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.

"Hopefully when they see it this summer, it will change their image of it.

"I think they expect a large scary woman, but there are slim girls doing it. There are girls out there changing the stereotype.

"I like getting dressed up and doing my hair and make-up," she said.

The British record holder has a strong neck and shoulders, but a narrow waist and frame.

At 5ft 7in, she admits it used to be daunting competing against her 6ft-tall, 14-stone rivals.

But what she lacks in size, she makes up for in pace and agility - skills she learned from her ballet dancing.

"Ballet really helped me with my balance. I started it when I was two so I always had the core stability and strength from that. It also taught me to be confident performing in front of people," she said.

The 21-year-old took up hammer throw when a coach at her athletics club in Burnley, Lancashire, said they had no one to do it and asked if she would give it a go. (ANI)