He later described his childhood as an unhappy one, stating that his mother and grandfather – a former headmaster – had insisted that he focus on intellectual pursuits, rather than sports like the other children.
Ia kemudian menganggap masa kecilnya kurang bahagia dengan menyatakan bahwa ibunya dan kakeknya – seorang mantan kepala sekolah – menginginkan ia berfokus pada pembelajaran, ketimbang olahraga seperti anak-anak lainnya.