Featured Image: GB Athletes Kevin and Naomi Metzger

It’s Valentine's Day; a time to celebrate love and romance. But what if you have to be up for training at 6 am tomorrow? Or what if you’re suffering from DOMS so painful you can’t “put on a show” on the big day?

The dating game can be a challenging one, especially if you decide to play it as an athlete. Early nights, strict training programmes and those “sorry for the slow reply, I was training” texts can really get in the way of a healthy …

My life literally changed, forever.

Sir Steve Redgrave, Henry Slade and Muhammad Ali - what do they have in common?

Yes, they are all international sporting superstars, but they are also type 1 diabetics, the condition that changed my life, forever.

From the moment they told me I might not be able to do gymnastics anymore, that was when I knew I was going to prove them wrong.

My name is Abi. I am a final year student and an ex-international acrobatic gymnast, and on the 11th September 2011, …

📸 by Jodi Hanagan

The NCAA experience is one that differs from person to person. You should never take one person's time in America as gospel, as you can guarantee you’ll find something differs in your time there. It is all dependent on your school, your coach, your degree, and obviously, yourself.

My time in the USA was one with many ups, a lot more downs, but an experience I wouldn't change for the world.

University of Georgia, Division 1 NCAA

The Ups

The main positive I would take …

‘Records are made to be broken’

Could this increasing pressure be driving athletes away from the sport and subsequently, due to rising standards could more athletes be developing injuries as a result?

‘But that’s part and parcel of being an athlete…’

For athletes in Olympic and Paralympic Sports, high calibre performance represents the pinnacle of what they hope to achieve (Henrickson et al, 2017). Granted, pressure is a very open term, whilst many athletes will experience worries and stress …

Having spent the last five years managing academic commitments at a boarding school (Eton College) alongside the demands of athletics training and competition; I’ve identified three things that I would like to have known sooner.

The combination of athletics and boarding school has led to success for several athletes; Jazmin Sawyers (2023 European Long Jump Champion), who studied at Millfield; and Lawrence Clarke (4th 110mH 2012 Olympics) who attended Eton College. When you’re on the way back fr…

Shoe technology in athletics has made some huge advances in recent years. The new wave of shoes in the sport have been dubbed ‘super shoes’ they generally feature carbon plates and/or thick soles.

The developments have not been without controversy with some saying that athletes’ performances have improved significantly with the new shoes and therefore the shoes should be banned. Others argue that there is not enough scientific data to prove whether the shoes are actually making athletes perform…

If you know me, you will know I try to be a positive person - easier said than done in 2020!

With all that life throws at us, humans have to figure out a way through. Sometimes, we can manage this alone, but often, we could use a bit of help from others, even if it is just a pointer or kick up the bum.

We’ve all experienced ups and downs.

To some, these may be minor bumps in the road, but to others, they are something more. I am extremely lucky to have had supportive people around me in b…