CLARE BALDING

Particularly when you're young, you're terribly flattered by people who like you, so you think you love them.

I think all kids should have something they feels is theirs.

I've never been particularly maternal.

I hate the fact that public schools like the one I went to have fantastic sports facilities, and state schools don't. That's not fair. That's outrageous.

You hear the word 'cancer,' and you think it is a death sentence. In fact, the shock is the biggest thing about a diagnosis of cancer.

I play golf - even though I'm awful at it.

The most important quality in a partner is a sense of humour.

I find people interesting. People trying hard are interesting. People with a passion are interesting - whether it's old cars or taxidermy or knitting.

Swimming and athletics are the big gigs at the Olympic games. Cycling and rowing are pretty big for Britain, but globally, the two big things are athletics and swimming.

Being made to feel like an irrelevant child was probably an asset. Benign negligence is not a bad parental attitude or at least a cross between a benevolent dictator and benign negligence - you should just let kids crack on with it.

I didn't just grow up with horses; I wanted to be one.

If you are fearful, a horse will back off. If you are calm and confident, it will come forward. For those who are often flattered or feared, the horse can be a welcome mirror of the best in human nature.

Not everyone has to have children. If everyone had two or three, we'd run out of room.

Lots of women don't realize that they're gay until they're grown up.

The British have a unique relationship with horses. They are etched into our landscape in chalk, they have been written about, painted, sung about, celebrated and gambled upon for centuries.

A lot of interviewers are looking for the dark side. They want to know about the depths of your despair and fear.

I think 'ambitious' is one of those adjectives used for women in a derogatory way.

I've always been fascinated by intelligence and how our brains work, and how they can be improved.

I want to make the world a better place, for women, mainly.

Dad is a really surprising guy. Every time I think he's going to be useless, he ends up doing something amazing and saying exactly the right thing.

I don't make decisions for money or popularity. I do things because they're right for me, and they're interesting and challenging.

I know sport can change the world, and that matters to me.

I get a lot of abuse on Twitter. It's mostly homophobic, but what can you do? I just either ignore it or laugh.

I hate being alone, even for 10 minutes.

Sport develops your brain. It helps your learning. It's not an add-on at the end of the day.