Quotes from Clare Balding

I've never been particularly maternal.

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.

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

It had become boring to write: 'I like Clare Balding'. To say: 'I don't like Clare Balding' is much more newsworthy.

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

Women's sport helps break down a lot of barriers for women in other areas, whether in religion or politics.

I cannot be a placard waver for every campaign; that's why I have mostly kept quiet about gay marriage.

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

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.

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

Weekends are a real luxury for me because I'm usually working.

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.

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

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

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.

Swimmers provide much healthier role models for teenagers than the catwalk.

Very rarely will you listen to the radio in a judgmental way, the way you'll watch telly.

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

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.

Having thyroid cancer in 2009 really didn't change my life at all. I wish I could say that I had this epiphany. But I knew I was lucky before that, so it's not like I suddenly realised how lucky I am.

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

When you're little, your father is your hero. Mine was. Then it all becomes more complicated.

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