Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning national netball player Eboni Usoro-Brown has a super-busy life and chooses Cornwall as the place to kick back, rest up and calm her mind
My first experience of Cornwall was visiting Bude when I was at primary school – we went cliff-walking and kayaking and I enjoyed everything about it. Mum used to live in the Cayman Islands so I’ve always liked being by the sea – it helps your mind settle – and parts of West Cornwall have an almost tropical feel. My connection with Cornwall continued when I studied at Bristol University, and now, living near Bath where I play Superleague netball for Team Bath, it’s just a two to three-hour journey door to door. My husband and I like going there because the atmosphere is so calm and the people are so friendly. It’s our first choice when we pack up the car for a spontaneous weekend away.
We celebrated our first wedding anniversary in St Ives and we had a very relaxing time, especially in the Spa at the Harbour Hotel where we stayed, just above Porthminster Beach. Every time I visit Cornwall I discover a bit more about its heritage, and the town of St Ives is charmingly quaint. We liked walking around the little cobbled streets, discovering art galleries and watching the fishermen bring in the catch of the day. We’d find a hidden restaurant for lunch and have some seafood – lobster, scallops or mussels perhaps, which taste even better because you know how fresh they are.
For our babymoon, our last weekend together before our daughter Savannah was born, we went to Newquay to stay at the Fistral Beach Hotel. The day would begin with a lie-in, followed by a leisurely breakfast, then a lovely walk down to the beach. In the evenings we had incredible food served over five courses. My husband is in the RAF so he loves kitesurfing and running up hills, but when I’m away I prefer to stop and slow down and escape the pressure cooker of being an athlete. We’re looking forward to introducing Savannah to the Cornish coast this summer, and taking her body-boarding and surfing when she’s a bit older.
Eboni is working with nutrition and performance coach Matt Lovell at aminoman.com for all her sports nutritional needs.
