Cal Ripken Jr.: What did you want to be when you were growing up? — FLAPSS

The question

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

This is a standing question in The Guardian's decades-long The Q&A and also recurs independently in career and life interviews.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Cal Ripken Jr.

Baseball player; holder of the record for consecutive games played

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

I was a fanatic about Sports Illustrated as a kid. That was the sports bible.

Sports Illustrated, Interview, Sports Illustrated, 30 November 2010 source ↗

Others on this question

View all 257 →

Toyah Willcox English singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter

A man. I have always fought against being gender specific. I just don’t like being identified as female: I’m a person.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 13 April 2019 source ↗

Orlando Bloom English actor

An actor or stuntman: I loved Lee Majors in The Fall Guy.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 March 2021 source ↗

Chris Bonington

I was a huge daydreamer and imagined myself as a successful general leading his troops into battle.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 22 March 2025 source ↗

Rosalind Eleazar

An air traffic controller.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 22 February 2025 source ↗

More from Cal Ripken Jr.

View profile →

Question How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? Do you have a favourite failure? Failure & regret

No. I mean if you fail 70 percent of the time, you had a great year. You're dealing with failure seven out of ten times as a hitter.

Recorded Academy of Achievement interviewer, Academy of Achievement interview, Washington, D.C., 18 August 2020 source ↗

Question How would you describe yourself in three words? Identity & self

Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer.

Recorded Mr BioFile, Interview, Mr BioFile, 22 July 2021 source ↗

Question What is the best advice you have ever received? Time & hindsight

You know what? Eddie was probably the best leader by example and not so much by words. You know, sometimes if he said something, you know, then you had to stand up and listen to it, but for the most part, he taught me the importance of being there every single day.

Recorded Academy of Achievement interview, Washington, D.C., 18 August 2020 source ↗

More on identity & self

Also answered this

Brendan Rodgers, Pete Rozelle, Gareth Bale, Arnold Palmer, Chris Bonington, Kevin Pietersen

Search the directory for somebody in particular.

Explore further

All identity & self questions
The The Q&A questionnaire — 25 questions from the same format
Explore the archive — by field, age, era, and subject

Report this answer