I interviewed Stephanie Davis after her surprise marathon win earlier this year, which secured her a place in Team GB for the Tokyo Olympics.
It was a debut Olympics for the Scottish athlete and conditions were challenging for the marathon due to high temperatures and humidity.
Steph, who grew up in Bearsden, East Dunbartonshire, said: “I was happy when I crossed the finish line of the Olympics Marathon.
“I knew the conditions were going to be challenging so in the week leading up to the race, I was mentally preparing myself to run my own race and not get carried away in the early stages.
“I executed this well and moved up the field from around 75th in the first 5k to 10k to finishing 39th overall and first GB athlete home.
“The weather meant I knew that I probably wasn’t going to run a PB but I’ve run enough marathons now to know the effort levels at each part of the race, so I went with my own instinct. It was tough but I loved it.”
A debut Olympics will inevitably bring a mix of feelings. Steph said: “Everything was unknown for me. There were mixed emotions but it ended on a high between my marathon performance and finishing out the trip at the closing ceremony. It was a great way to celebrate.”
Steph is now taking some time to rest, relax and catch up with family and friends. She will return to training in the next few weeks – and looking forward to 2022.
She said: “Next year is a big year in athletics, with the World Championships, Europeans and Commonwealth Games all taking place over the summer. I hope to make one of the teams and compete again for GB, or even achieve my first Scottish vest.”