Athletics Life Stories

Born to two international athletes, life in track and field was always a possibility for Lynsey Sharp. But it was not a given that the little Scottish girl who played in the long jump sand pit whilst mum trained would go on to reach Olympic and World finals. But she did! And yet, it has been far from a straightforward journey to the global stage. The debilitating injuries to her father following a...

He’s the last British man ever to win an individual medal at the World Cross Country Championships and a respected athletics commentator the world over. And he’s not short on opinions either! But with European and Commonwealth medals on the track along with two silver medals at the World Cross, he has earned the right. He competed in a golden era of British endurance running, schooled on brutal se...

She’s the girl who grew up in an impoverished community in East London in the 1980s, but who went on to model for Stella McCartney via representing Team GB at the Olympic Games. Competing as Jo Fenn in her athletics career, her story is one of raw talent, perseverance, heartbreaks and glory on the global stage. Unable to afford her first England Schools tracksuit, the young prodigy had to overcome...

One of the most likable and genuine athletes of his generation, Jason Gardener was a distinct figure in the men’s sprints in the late 90s and early 2000s. There was no braggado, no menace, no strutting, he just went about his business as a quietly effective and efficient medal-winning machine. As his peers were spitting in each other’s lanes, getting into warm up track fights and using every tool...

Known for his outspoken views as much as his world-renowned coaching, Dutchman Charles van Commenée left an indelible mark on British Athletics. Firstly as coach to Denis Lewis as she won heptathlon gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and then to Kelly Sotherton as she rose from 59th in the world to Olympic bronze in Athens 2004, under his guidance. He returned to the UK in 2009 to lead the nation’s...

No stone is left unturned in this interview with three-time Olympic medallist Kelly Sotherton. For many years she carried the flag for British heptathletes, winning Olympic and World bronze and Commonwealth gold. With typical honesty she talks about her relationship with Jessica Ennis and her feelings of jealousy during London 2012. She also opens up about her relationship with coach Charles van C...

From growing up on the breadline on a Dundee council estate where prospects were limited, Liz McColgan rose up to be one of the world’s great long distance runners. As well as winning London, New York and Tokyo Marathons, she was World and Commonwealth 10,000m champion, Olympic silver medallist and broke numerous world records. She speaks with typical candour over her life as an elite athlete, inc...

An ebullient character of the UK endurance running scene, Hayley Yelling was a mainstay of the GB & NI cross country team in the early 2000s, twice winning individual gold at the European Cross Country Championships. She also won international vests on track and road including at the European Athletics Championships, Commonwealth Games and World Half Marathon Championships. But she narrowly missed...

For a quarter of a century, Jason Henderson has written about virtually every significant run, jump or throw in the UK and beyond. In 2022, he celebrated 25 years at Athletics Weekly, the sport's leading media title. For the majority of that, he has been the iconic publication's editor, interviewing the biggest names in the sport and reporting from the biggest events and right down to the grass ro...

A talented footballer and rugby player in his youth, Andy Turner made his mark in sprint hurdling against the odds. Despite no international recognition as a junior athlete, he broke through as a senior, making his major championship debut at the Athens Olympics. He felt out of place, but soon found his feet. And despite losing lottery funding, he eventually became European and Commonwealth champi...

A central figure in one of the sport's most iconic races of all-time, Donna Fraser was training partner to Cathy Freeman ahead of the Australian's celebrated 400m gold in Sydney 2000, where Donna finished an agonising fourth. Along with three other Olympic Games and a glittering career that included World, European and Commonwealth medals, the Londoner has an inspiring tale to tell from her diagno...

Craig Pickering, former teenage sprint star talks with Chris Broadbent is a searingly honest interview on his sprinting career. Including his rise to prominence, racing Usain Bolt, his headline-hitting rivalry with Dwain Chambers, letting a relay medal slip at the Olympics, winning World bronze, European silver and his switch to bobsleigh. Now settled in Australia, he looks back on his life in int...

400m hurdler Dai Greene on a career of highs and lows resulting in gold at the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and European Championships. Also on his disappointment at London 2012 and dealing with placing fourth. He talks about his frustration of a hernia operation that has cost him years of his career. He also shares stories on his rivals such as Felix Sanchez, Kerron Clement, LJ van Zyl...

In a remarkably candid interview, 400m hurdler Eilidh Doyle talks to Chris Broadbent about her athletics career at top level from winning European gold to almost walking away after London 2012. On her domestic rivalry with Perri Shakes-Drayton and three Commonwealth Games medals. On her relationships with coaches such as Malcolm Arnold and Charles Van Commenee. How fellow Scot Laura Muir dealt wit...