Fall Off, Get Back On, Keep Going - Clare Balding Q&A

April 15th 2021

Clare Balding, TV presenter, sportswoman, bestselling author and national treasure spent her childhood falling off and getting back in the saddle. In her first non-fiction book for children, she shares her warm, funny and reassuring personal insights into what it means to make mistakes and be unafraid of failure.

Containing anecdotes from her own life and from the lives of the people she most admires, Clare's book will empower children with the confidence to own their mistakes, face up to failure, keep going - and emerge stronger and happier.

We caught up with Clare to find out more about the book.

What are the main themes of the book, and what prompted you to write it?

I’ve wanted to write this book for a long time. I think that a lot of children really worry about failing, or not being good enough, and struggle with general confidence. There’s a lot more pressure to be great at things straight away than when I was growing up. There comes a point at which that worry is much more of a problem than a spectacular failure, because it means you limit yourself before you start.

The book tackles making mistakes, embracing failures and having the confidence and resilience to keep going - and emerge stronger.  There are ALWAYS times when we mess things up, fall off our bike, say the wrong thing and wish we could put it right. I know this because I’ve been there. The trick is learning how to recover, how to pick yourself up and keep going. It includes anecdotes from my childhood and beyond, as well as calling on the insights and learnings of people that I most admire, inside and outside of the sporting world. I wanted it to be confidence-building, empowering, warm and funny.

I’m sharing tips to put in your personal toolkit that will hope you grow stronger, braver, kinder and happier. 

Who is the book aimed at? Do you think that adults will also find something to take-away from the book?

The book is primarily aimed at children age 8-12, but actually, the practical tips and messages I think are relevant to everyone. In my job, I’ve been incredibly lucky to have seen some of the most impressive, inspirational and awe-inspiring sporting performances. I’ve also seen some heart-breaking losses and awful injuries. I’ve seen a lot of people ‘fall off’. I’ve also watched them get back on and have another go. Many times, they are even better after their major loss or their big fall. I know that I have learned a lot from these great sportspeople, and others in the non-sporting world, too.

One of the best parts of being a broadcaster as well as an author is getting to meet brilliantly talented and committed experts from every part of life, who give fantastic insights into their success – and their failures.

Why did you include personal stories in the book?

I want to help young people recover from your mistakes and grow stronger from the experience. Because, believe me, I’ve been there...when I was younger, I really struggled. I was impatient, insecure, selfish, frightened of being different and, like an unhappy dog, I probably snapped at a few people along the way. I wanted to show that I didn’t have a smooth road to success – from almost getting expelled to making mistakes on live TV, I have failed often, and failed publicly. What really matters is learning, and picking yourself back up.

What practical tools do you offer?

I focus on how to build particular traits that are helpful: patience, confidence, courage, kindness and resilience. There are tips about getting started, visualisation, how creativity is helpful, growing courage like a muscle, 10 ways to be kinder and happier, and lots more. I really wanted this to be a practical guide.

Bearing in mind the difficulties for everyone during the past year, do you feel the book is particularly timely? How have you found the last 12 months?

Like everyone else, I’ve experienced a very different year to the one I expected. As a broadcaster, a huge chunk of my work calendar changed almost overnight – the postponement of the Olympics is a great example. I had already begun writing this book, and in every respect, its themes are more relevant than ever: resilience, confidence, patience, kindness… all are vital, however old you are.

How different do you find writing for children?

I do a lot of events for families and children, so I don’t find it hard to pitch the writing. Writing for children is a very good exercise because they tend to get straight to the heart of issues, and are very honest, so you have to think carefully about how best to put across your point in the most effective way. I think talking ‘down’ to children is always a mistake: children are curious, creative and logical: in many ways an ideal audience.

Was it important to have the book illustrated?

Jess Holm’s illustrations are brilliant, because the enhance the message of the whole book: I wanted the book to feel active, encouraging and positive, and the illustrations give a real energy.

What are your favourite children’s books/authors?

I loved reading Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. It was the only book she wrote and it is narrated from the point of view of the horse. I also really enjoy Michael Morpurgo's books and more recently I loved reading Kay's Anatomy by Adam Kay.

What’s your writing routine?

I am quite busy with other jobs so I have to block out writing days in my diary. I take a cup of coffee to my desk and try to write for a couple of hours before heading out for a walk. That gives me thinking time and I come back feeing energised and ready to write again for another couple of hours. Then I give myself another break and maybe take a shorter walk before coming back for a third session of writing. I like breaking it up into blocks with thinking time in between.

What’s your biggest writing tip?

Write down all your ideas. I keep a hardback book full of jottings because however much you think you'll remember that brilliant thought in the morning or later that day, those great ideas just disappear if you don't write them down. Also, don't be afraid of reshaping and finding a better way to write things. It's important to take feedback on board and not to regard it as criticism but instead as an opportunity to improve.

What do you do when you get stuck when you’re writing?

I go for a walk and listen to a podcast or to music - something totally unconnected with what I'm writing about. It really helps take my mind away from the issue and somewhere in my brain there are still cogs whirring away that let me sit back at my keyboard and come up with a solution.

Who would like you most like to meet?

I'd love to meet Michelle Obama. I admire her so much as an inspirational, motivational figure but I also think she'd be great fun to hang out with.

What are your favourite animals?

I love dogs, horses and cats. As for wild animals, I've been lucky enough to see a tiger in India and that was amazing because he had such a powerful presence and was so beautiful. 

Could you please sum up the book in three words?

Empowering, energising, enlightening

If you could speak to your 12-year-old self, what would you tell her? 

Stop worrying about fitting in and start being a person you’d like to be friends with.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself: 

I am the President of the Rugby Football League and at formal occasions, I have a very heavy gold chain.

What’s your favourite thing about books and reading?

I love the chance to escape to a different world and I also like to get good advice from books.

Fall Off, Get Back On, Keep Going: 10 Ways to Be at the Top of Your Game by Clare Balding is out now.