Last month in our new series, 'Whatever happened to...', Mike Trees spoke to the extrovert and very colourful triathlete Tracy Harris. This month Annie Emmerson caught up with her old team mate and good friend, former Olympian and European bronze medallist Sian Brice.

AE Firstly, and obviously the most important question of the interview, the team at Tri247 (funnily enough they're all guys) asked, 'Since retiring from triathlon you've had two boys, do you consider yourself a yummy mummy?'

SB No, I don't think so. I think yummy mummys are overly concerned about their family's image, and that's not me.

AE Moving on to the serious stuff, you had a short but very successful career as a professional triathlete (1997-2000) but before that you were involved in lots of other sports, tell us about your sporting background.

SB As a kid I did lots of sports (basketball, gymnastics, hockey, netball, trampolining, badminton) but swimming (competitive from aged ten) and then later on running (from aged 13) were my first serious ones. I reached national standard at swimming at 13 and then English Schools track at 17. I first competed for GB Juniors internationally at track and cross-country. At Oxford University I carried on running and swimming and won Team Bronze for GB at the World Students Cross-Country. After my degree I did a track scholarship at the University of Alabama (Roll Tide Roll!) but was injured for the track season so decided to come home to the UK and get a job and a career, starting work as a trainee accountant in London.

AE So how did you get into triathlon?

SB Living in Blackheath I, quite by chance, met a fantastic couple, Vern and Jean Thomas, who introduced me to the Greenwich Tritons. Vern then encouraged and inspired me every step of the way to do my first standard distance triathlon in 1993 at Swindon.

AE Tell us about your first triathlon?

SB It was Swindon in 1993, I was eighth overall and second in my age group behind Loretta Sollars. It was a scary experience ... dark cold water and first time in clip on shoes, cramp in the car on the way home, but I was hooked.

AE You raced all over the world, Which was your favorite race?

SB Seb Coe winning the LA Olympic 1500m ... Oh sorry did you mean triathlon? That must be Noosa, what a great place to have a race, if a little hot. Great to unwind afterwards in the beach and in the cafes.

AE You burst onto the international scene in 1997 when you won the European Cup final in Alanya (I think I gave you a good kicking there, she laughs ... yes, you did!) few people knew about you then, did you have any idea that you would get such fantastic results, at international level, so early on in your career?

SB At Alanya I became great friends with my room mate and realised that elite triathletes were not all one-dimensional, self-obsessed cardboard cutouts with no real life, we had a laugh and out of the blue I won the race. I had no idea or expectation going into Alanya but I had always been competitive and trained hard. Although naive technically, I got away with it on the day. It did give me a real boost and confidence in future races.

AE How important was it to have a good coach at your side?

SB Invaluable. Steve (Trew) engineered my breakthrough to world class with some great work converting my track speed into triathlon 10km running and pushing me out of my comfort zone on the bike and in the pool. Looking back some of the sessions we did were extremely special and some of my best triathlon memories. I think it is so important to continually take advice from someone you trust. It's all about building a long term relationship with someone who knows you inside out and can therefore get the most out of you, and still be a good friend.

AE What was the high point in your triathlon career?

SB In 1999 I was sixth in the World Champs at Montreal behind five Aussies. It was an incredible high as the couple of years leading up to 2000 were extremely competitive as there were some very talented and fit athletes preparing themselves for the Olympics in that race. I should also mention my husband Paddy, who competed in the age group race and then kept me awake the night before my race after drinking too much beer...!

AE Following on from a fantastic 1999 you arrived at the Sydney Olympics as one of the top European favourites, but a bike crash saw your Olympic dream come to an abrupt end. For those of us watching at home it was incredibly sad to see. Bike crashes happen all the time in races, but for this to happen at the Olympics it must have been very tough to deal with?

SB At the time it was tough as I had only come off my bike once before in a race and even then I had got up and managed to finish. I had gone through a race plan for every scenario except coming off my bike and was stunned. But shit happens and life goes on.

AE Since retiring from triathlon you've stayed involved in the sport, albeit behind the scenes, tell us about your work at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

SB I was involved and really enjoyed helping with the live commentary at the event. I was really impressed with the set-up and the organisation, it was a great race.

AE Few people will know this, but rather impressively, you played a part in the successful 2012 Olympic bid.

SB Yes, I presented the London 2012 bid to the IOC Evaluation Committee in Hyde Park, it was one of my most nerve wracking moments ever.

AE How do you think the sport had changed since your retired.

SB I think pre-Sydney and the first ever Olympic triathlon was very special. At almost every race on the circuit you had most of the top 20 in the world. It seems that now there are too many races and the quality of the fields vary which detracts from the sport.

AE If you could change anything about the sport, what would you change?

SB To be honest I never had much time for politics in sport. There are a lot of great people involved in triathlon who contribute at every level. However, sometimes I think that those at the top become a little divorced from what the sport of triathlon is really all about. It's eight years now since I competed so it's really not for me to say what could be changed.

AE There's a fair amount of discussion about how young, up and coming sports stars are overly funded and looked after, what are your thoughts on this?

SB All funded athletes should be more accountable centrally to a Head Coach; all the GB track cyclists have to be based at Manchester and attend all team camps. Their results speak for themselves (nine golds at the recent World Track Champs). A more controlled environment would make younger athletes tougher psychologically, help push each other and alert coaches to problems such as diet, injuries and weaknesses.

AE What makes a great triathlete?

SB Age group: Good time management, effective training (quality over quantity), learning how to train out of your comfort zone, working on weaknesses, not training to your strengths.

Professional: Talent at swimming and running (obviously!), mentally tough and holding it together at big events, willing to absorb advice; ie not be arrogant and think you know everything, see the big picture at World level, be truly professional.

AE Who is your sporting hero?

SB Brought up in the 80s so Seb Coe, Steve Ovett and Daley Thompson, Vernon Thomas, hard as nails, Michael Jordan. In triathlon, Michellie Jones the best woman all-rounder and after the positive test for Brigitte McMahon, the real Gold Medal winner at Sydney. Always should have been, what a great story for the first Olympic triathlon in Australia!

AE What have you been up to since retiring from triathlon?

SB Kids and family life along with sport and friends. In terms of triathlon I have coached with Steve Trew at camps in the UK and Bermuda, Richard Hobson in Lanzarote, done the odd bit of commentating and was involved in the panel review of the 2004 Olympics.

AE What plans do you have for the future and as a former Olympian would you like to play a role in London 2012?

SB My youngest boy starts school in September and there are a lot of projects I have put on hold until then. I would like to get back into work and be involved either in London 2012 or in local coaching for kids at primary school.

AE Did I hear someone mention you wanted to do an Ironman when you hit forty?

SB If my body holds together I'd like to have a go at Ironman - to finish rather than to win a medal ... and of course provided my husband is willing to put up with the long hours of training while he slaves away at his desk earning enough money to keep shoes on the feet of his children and weak lattes in the hands of his soon to be 40 year-old wife.

...Something tells me Sian might not be after a medal, but I certainly wouldn't put it past her, and I'm quite sure Paddy will oblige. Perhaps we could call it 'pay back' for his late night partying antics at the 1999 Montreal World Championships? Knowing the lovely Sian though, I'm quite sure she forgave him a long-time ago.