Olympic gold hopeful Keely Hodgkinson has spoken out about the intense pressure and array of emotions involved in achieving success at such a young age.
Hodgkinson defied everyone’s expectations when, at just 19 years old, she won the silver medal in the women’s 800m at the Tokyo Olympics. However, the athlete revealed that this incredible achievement was followed by a lot of highs and lows.
The now 22-year-old recalled feeling “a rush of adrenaline” and “an overwhelming feeling of joy” after Tokyo, and said that she couldn’t sleep for two days after the race.
“It was really fun, but obviously when there comes a high, later on comes a low,” said the middle-distance runner, who will be representing Team GB in the 800m in Paris. “The winter after was a little bit tough… once you have experienced something like that, everything else seems a little mundane.
“A lot of people tell you how to be successful, but not how to deal with success once you’ve had it.
“When you do it so young, it just doubles the amount of time to keep it at that level, which can be difficult.”
Staying grounded and taking each day as it comes has helped her through these low moments.
“I think everyone who has been through it has their own way of dealing with it, and you come out the other side,” said Hodgkinson. “I managed to keep my performances going and and took it day by day… and eventually got back to feeling like myself again.”
Learning when to say no is one of the biggest lessons she has learnt since Tokyo.
“When I was younger, I would say yes to everything, but you end up drained and tired,” revealed the runner. “I think it is important to protect your own peace and really have your priorities in order, so you know which way you want to do things, and which direction you want to take.”
Hodgkinson opens up about these ups and downs in a new National Lottery-supported documentary called Path to Paris: The Hunt for Gold, which follows Team GB stars as they prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games and offers an insight into how National Lottery players support their journey.
Speaking to PA about the pain she endures while pushing her body to sprint 800m in under two minutes, she said: “I might be biased, but it is a really painful event to run and train for.
“It feels like you are basically dying and can’t lift your legs up, and it burns and stings.”
However, the British 800m superstar believes that mental strength can help you overcome anything.
“I believe that the mental side of it is more important than the physical, because you need the mental strength to push through,” she said. “Some people just lose the race because of their own mind… one of my strengths is that I can tolerate the lactic acid well and when it is really hurting I can dig deep.”
She hopes that this mental strength will help her cross the finish line first in Paris – a moment she has imagined a lot.
“I might be young, but I have spent so many years working towards this,” said Hodgkinson. “I have a few World silvers behind me now and it would really mean so much to me to upgrade that to a gold. It would be life changing.”
National Lottery has invested more than £300 million in grassroot and elite athletes. Path to Paris: The Hunt for Gold, is on Channel 4 on July 20 at 4:55pm.
