Christine Ohuruogu's My London

The reigning 400m Olympic champion on her South East London hot spots

Home is
Stratford, East London

What was the last play you saw in London?
Oliver Twist at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, I loved it.

What advice would you give to a tourist coming to London?
Be open-minded. There are so many pockets of London which are less well-known but where you can still have a really good time.

What's the first thing you do when you arrive back in London?
I go to my Mum's house in Stratford to catch up with my family.

Which London shops do you rely on?
For clothes I like a lot of high street shops like Topshop, River Island and Warehouse. I tend to do my shopping in batches because I'm often pressed for time. I'd like to start shopping in smaller boutiques and the markets for quirky items. I also like going to Brick Lane with my sister.

What's the best meal you've had in London?
It was in 805, the Nigerian restaurant in Old Kent Road which does amazing stews and grills.

What's your earliest London memory?
Going to London zoo when I was three with my family.

What is your guilty pleasure?
I've got a very sweet tooth and so I love all the things I'm not supposed to eat like chocolate cake.

What are you most afraid of?
Failure. It can be positive but more often it's a very negative thing. I'm a very competitive person and I've always had this idea instilled in me that I can't fail. In sport we all strive to achieve, everything is always about timings and distances and new records.

If you could live in any building in London which would it be?
The Gerkin - It would be a cool place to live, close to the centre, good views of London.

What would you do if you were Mayor of London for the day?
I would make transport free for children and ban smoking even outside.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever been given?
Smile and be happy, I don't know who gave me this advice but it was good advice.

What animal would you most like to be?
A jaguar, it's the first animal that comes into my head.

What was the last album you downloaded?
Nigerian Afrobeat by Fela Kuti, I'm listening to it on my iPod.

What are you up to at the moment?
Training hard for the IAAF World T&F Championships in Daegu, Korea in late August. When I'm not at the track I'm busy doing some DIY at home.

Which is your favourite London street for shopping?
Oxford Street, I like to stick with what I'm familiar with.