After all that life has slung at her in the last 12 months, just making the Olympic start line is one of the greatest achievements of Eilish McColgan’s career.
The Dundee runner was in the form of her life and had just smashed the British 10,000m record when she suffered a knee injury so bad one doctor said she would not run again.
Then, during her year-long lay-off, she suffered a bitter blow when her stepdad John Nuttall died suddenly last November, and then her gran also died shortly after.
McColgan is barely back to full fitness but her journey to a fourth Games has given the Scot a new perspective.
“I have had doctors say to me there is no chance of Paris,” the 10,000m runner said.
“One doctor said I would be lucky to ever run again but that didn’t make sense to me. I look after myself, I am healthy. I am in my 30s, not 60s, and I still believe I can compete.
“There is no doubt just to be here is a victory. Personally, I have had a tough year. I lost my stepdad and then my gran in quick succession, that really impacted my mum and then me and my siblings.
“Once you take that and the injuries, just to make the start line is one of the proudest moments of my career so far. This race will mean a lot to me.”
McColgan, who won Commonwealth Games gold for Scotland in 2022, is tempering expectations ahead of the women’s 10,000m – which takes place on August 9.
The 33-year-old made her return to the track at the European Championships in Rome but failed to finish due to illness.
“If this was in the UK, I would think I can get close to my personal best. I am in that shape again,” she added.
“But with this being an Olympic race, it is a different ball game. A realistic goal is to be competitive against the other Europeans.
“I was disappointed at the European Championships because I did not finish and was sick the next day.
“I would like to show I can still be competitive against the Europeans and against [teammate] Megan Keith as well.
“That would be the level I am targeting at the moment. It is nowhere near the medals, but I am getting better all the time.”
McColgan is one of over 1,000 elite athletes on UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded World Class Programme, allowing them to train full time, have access to the world’s best coaches and benefit from pioneering medical support – which has been vital on their pathway to the Paris 2024 Games.
McColgan insists she is back to full fitness and a solid three-week training block on the eve of the Games has increased her confidence.
Still, a long-term injury leaves more than just a physical scar and McColgan says she is still learning to trust her body again.
“It is a mental thing now,” she said.
“There are a lot of mental barriers I am constantly breaking down.
“I think when you have had a chronic injury that has lasted more than a year, and you are in so much pain, it is still in the back of my mind.
“For a lot of people, the Olympics is their end of the season. They are going to go off and party. But for me it is the complete opposite. It is the start of my season now.”
With more than £30M a week raised for Good Causes, including vital funding into elite and grassroots sport, National Lottery players support our Olympic and Paralympic athletes to live their dreams and make the nation proud, as well as providing more opportunities for people to take part in sport. To find out more visit: www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk
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