European Team Championships, Stockholm

Hallå!! (Hello in Swedish). My Great Britain and NI Senior track debut was the most exciting but nerve racking experience I have ever witnessed. Trying to be a successful athlete is not the easiest of tasks but, when you get your first call up at a senior international level, it is a massive reward and stepping stone that forces the belief that you are on track in reaching your goals. My debut came at the European Team Championships held this year in Stockholm on the 18-19th June. I was selected for the 3000m, based on my winning performance at the blustery Loughborough International earlier in the year and was looking forward to racing over the 3000m, as it is a distance that I rarely get chance to run, due to specialising in the 1500m.  

I couldn’t have asked for a better room mate out in Sweden. Eilish Mccolgan was also on her GB Senior debut over the 3K steeple chase and as you could imagine, we were like two little fish in a big big ocean! We were in complete ore the whole time, having to pinch ourselves constantly not believing we were teaming with athletes that we would normally be watching on the TV screen! Embarrassingly, we succeeded to get photos with our teammates, such as Dwain Chambers, Goldie Sayers, Jenny Meadows and Helen Clitheroe. Helens was easy, as I know her very well already from training in Kenya and Font Romeu but, the others, well lets just say, it took us to the last day to get them! 

The race itself was another experience altogether. My coach and I had our race plan ready and I knew that the field I was up against was going to be tough, especially with the notoriously slow start that always occurs as these championships. I was predicted an individual points score of 4 points, which was a 9th place finish, based on my PB. However, I was extremely happy to exceed this and gain a solid 6 points and a 7th place finish in my first senior track competition! This along with an 8 second PB, topped off, what I can say, is a huge stepping stone in my athletic development. The weekend spent with a senior athletics team instilled in me that this is what I want to do and really become successful at. I have always said this, but only half-heartedly believed it. But now I can truly say that the experience has given me a little more, much needed confidence to take the step from an U23 to a Senior competitor. 


Team for European Team Championships
UKA Report
OCWK Report