From local Parkrun to the Olympic track: Georgia Bell on her athletics comeback
Georgia Bell explains how she went from quitting athletics to securing her place on Team GB
Words by Olivia Mustafa, ITV News Producer
On August 6, Georgia Bell will make her Olympic debut, stepping onto the track to race in the first round of the women's 1,500 metres.
But the Team GB athlete has had a stranger journey to the world stage than most.
Her Olympic appearance will mark the pinnacle of an epic comeback, where she went from giving up running altogether, to representing her country at the Games.
Bell secured a track scholarship to the US as a youngster, but quit athletics for a period of five years after thinking she would never reach the Olympics.
"During the pandemic and Covid, when all we could do was an hour of exercise a day, that's what got me back into running," she told ITV News.
Bell was living in London and working in tech sales and hadn't step foot on a track for five years - but said her local parkrun made her consider a return to competitive athletics.
She said: "Parkrun was something on my doorstep, and I was seeing improvements. That's what led me to get in touch with my old coach and think, 'I'm ready to get racing again'."
Her training regime has since kicked up a notch as she gears up for the Olympics, with a normal week involving at least three hours in the gym, running 30 miles and cycling 100 miles.
She trains with the team up to three times a day, but says rest is vital in the lead-up to her races.
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"There are a lot of naps as professional athletes too, as you've got to be back to performing at your best later in the day," she explained.
Bell's journey from turning her back on competition entirely to reaching the Olympics has been unconventional, but she believes it has given her the edge against her competitors.
"I'm really lucky that I've come from a position where I know what it's like to walk away," she said.
"I know how special it is, and for me, that means every time I step on the track I want to seize every opportunity."
Ahead of her arrival at the Olympic Village, Bell said she's excited, but has some concerns about the sleeping arrangements.
"I'm not looking forward to the cardboard beds," she admitted.
"But I am looking forward to being in the village, it's going to be amazing to be around all the different athletes and get that buzz and excitement."
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