Pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw ready for first competition in 16 months
By Mark Ashenden
Last Updated: 28/08/16 7:53am
Missing competing for over a year has driven Holly Bleasdale to despair at times but GB's top pole vaulter finally returns to the athletics arena and she cannot wait.
Opting to miss the indoor season raised a few eyebrows, but it's all part of a grand plan considering her niggling injuries and what's around the corner in Brazil next summer.
"There is no compromise", the 23-year-old Sky Scholar from Preston revealed when discussing her preparations, stating her "time is now".
Find out what she's been up to and how she's managed to stay sane ahead of her first competition in 16 months at the Welsh Championships in Cardiff. Here's Holly's latest blog...
I'm really looking forward to competing this weekend. It's going to be strange and I'm a little nervous because it's been so long since I've done a competition but I'm super excited as I love competing so much! I'm in a really good place at the minute, I'm healthy and ready to kickstart the 2015 outdoor season.
My main aim this outdoor season is Beijing in August so anything before that is building towards the worlds. I want to make sure I'm in the best place I can be when I arrive in China.
I’ve been out in South Africa for winter training. It was nice to get away and get some sun. I opted not to have an indoor season and focus on the outdoors. I have struggled with injuries but it was great to have a long block of training to get fit and strong. There have been a couple of hurdles to get over so I’ve had to take things quite slowly but I’m definitely back on course now.
Training’s been going well and I’m feeling stronger and fitter than ever. I’ve had a tough time over the last two years so I’m in a good place.
At first I was gutted to miss the competitions because I loved competing. That was tough because I am very competitive and that is what’s driving me on. Not being involved in that though was heartbreaking but it was something I had to do. My time is NOW and I just have to get on with it.
I saw a sport psychologist who taught me to see my break from competing as a positive thing. I saw them every month and I learned new strategies to help me see it in a more positive way.
That was hard to turn the negatives around so I worked on ‘mindfulness’ where you don’t beat yourself up over the negativity but rather accept it and move on.
It was the same as the Commonwealth Games when I was injured. I learned how to think about the agony of missing it for 10 seconds, accept I wasn’t going to go and then get on with it. Doing those things has made it easier to get things like that out of my head.
The Olympics remains my main aim. They are every four years and so as an athlete you get two or three of these. The Beijing World Championship in August is also a big aim but it’s all guns towards Rio! Everything I’m doing is drawn towards the Olympics next summer.
I’m not prepared to compromise on this which is why I won’t go to the European Championship in Amsterdam next year. I am not prepared to take that chance. It’s all about Rio but this summer is still very important. The Beijing Worlds is a big part of that and I hope to get a medal there.
I will probably do between four and six meets in the outdoor season to get in my best shape for August and China. I will also be looking to compete in the Diamond League and the British Championships, plus some others which haven’t been put in place yet.
First things first is Cardiff this weekend... and I can't wait!
Holly Bradshaw is one of 12 athletes being supported through the Sky Academy Sports Scholarships scheme.
The Scholarships offer a programme of support tailored to each athletes specific requirements covering areas such as funding, media coaching, mentoring and wider developmental support.
