Compartmentalising life and not bringing personal problems to training that could affect performance and other athletes around them is part and parcel of life as an athlete.
It is something Scott has learned to do, especially during that difficult spell last year which coincided with an important period of training.
“When I talk about what happened at Christmas time, it all happened during a really testing period in rowing. We were going through a lot of trials which ended up dictating a bit of our selection for the year,” she added.
“I actually didn’t share a lot of what was going on at Christmas time, because I knew everyone in the boat would probably then be worried about what was happening.
“You tell your friends, you get the support where you need it, but in terms of when you’re in training, and for me, working in such a high-pressure environment, that type of thing can actually distract quite a lot.”
Scott added: “It’s easier to try and find your support systems where you can with your family and your friends, and then keep your performance separate, because when you bring too much emotion into it, even happy emotion, I do think it can sometimes distract you from what you’re trying to do.
“It’s a skill I’ve had to learn a lot more in elite sport, and something that’s not easy, because we’re all human, and it sounds like, ‘Oh, I’m a robot because I can do that,’ but I struggle with it and it’s actually something you have to train your mind to do. It’s the way you manage this job and it’s how you get through at points.”
