It’s been quite some journey since I decided to return to the world of Athletics and dip my toe into what is now called Masters Athletics…
The term Master defined can mean “To Conquer or Overcome” …well little did I know what I was about to conquer or overcome when I stepped foot back on an Athletics track…over 13 years after leaving the sport as one of the top-ranked International Senior Athletes over the sprints.
I had always kept myself fit, by attending boot camps, or running 5k’s or completing Tough Mudder, but this was very different to returning to Track and Field…and namely sprinting…
I returned in September 2017, driven by my need to do something different with my life. Personal Challenges and a sense of needing to find a new direction. I had met up with some old friends who I had trained with and we, decided to ignite an old passion and to start a new journey…entering back into competitive sport…
In my head, could this really be something I could do…I had just qualified as an Assistant Athletics Coach and thought it really can’t be that hard…a few aches here and there, and winning a few medals in the indoor season culminated in me winning the Irish indoor W40 60m title in March 2018…success you say and everything going well…however, that was very much the end for that year…after one outdoor race and flying, I suddenly broke…constant injuries, aches, pains, hospitalised and a damaged calf at risk of life-threatening blood clots followed that had me questioning whether I would ever be able to jog again never mind attempt to run fast and by the August of 2018…I could barely run without pain. Something needed to change if I was to Master this journey successfully…
In September 2018 I had just qualified as a UK Athletics Coach…and at this point I can pinpoint it as one of the turning points in my future successes. Hours of reading, researching, talking with many coaches and mentors, understanding of session planning, physical preparation, flexibility and mobility. I had gained a lot of knowledge to be able to put into practice. For the older athlete…less is more, quality over quantity, different warm-up exercises, different sessions are needed, muscle strength and nutrition were key and with all of this in mind, I returned to the track in October 2018 with clear goals and a sense of purpose…
- To reach the semi-finals for 60m and 200m at the World Indoor Masters Championships
- To win the Irish National Masters Outdoor titles over 100m and 200m
- To be ranked inside the top 10 at the European Masters Athletics Championships in September 19.
I achieved them all to the point in September I was now a part of history and a part of record-breaking indoor and outdoor relay teams for Ireland…helping to put Irish women’s Masters sprinting firmly on the map…My mum and dad are both Irish and I have dual nationality…it’s a very special feeling pulling on the Irish vest knowing your parents are there supporting and watching you and knowing you have cemented amazing friendships and bonds for life…or as one of my teammates said…it says it in our diploma…we have to be friends for life! The unthinkable…became not a dream but a reality…European silver medallists in the 4 x 100m relay in Venice.
But what you don’t see is the behind the scenes journey that happens. The hours of training, the ups and downs, the thoughts that enter your mind, how to control them and the preparation involved in training days and behind the scenes in a warm-up…how was I to be competitive again at the highest level.
Over the coming months I will share with you hints, tips and advice to get more people competing in Masters. How to adapt your training for contemplating a return, or perhaps inspire you and your children to take up Athletics. It’s a sport that can build confidence and achievement for young girls and women growing up. That the unthinkable can be achievable, that dreams can be a reality and that friendships and memories will be made for life through a thriving, warm, passionate, Masters Athletics community who still compete to incredible levels of athletics achievement.
This year was one of the best levels of success…but I demand more of myself and I look forward to sharing my journey and experiences with you throughout my winter training programme and into 2020 and the new goals, I have set myself. This champ is just getting started…
By Leanne Wellings
