Tokyo 2020 - Came and then quickly disappeared. Tokyo 2.0 arrived, materialised and here we are into week two.

Whilst the word elite conjures up many thoughts and misconceptions, to be awarded the honour of being an Elite Athlete, you must work tremendously hard to get to that position. Many GB athletes secured their spot 2 years ago and the pandemic meant their training regime was tipped upside down. Of course, team GB provides the best support available, however, focus an athlete has starts and ends with the individual. So how do you stay motivated? What keeps the moment going? Remember that even elite athletes were in lockdown, and they would have faced uncertainty about their imminent future.

Determination and the sheer conviction that you have achieved a possible once in a lifetime opportunity and giving up is not an option because this is your life-long work. During the first lockdown we saw so many examples of team GB athletes training in their gardens, homes, garages, because their bodies are finely tuned machines and like the most precious of machines, needed to be maintained and taken care of. They couldn’t just stop.