Both of my parents were professional athletes, with my mum being a world champion in 1991, but I didn’t realise running was their job until much later. Growing up, I always knew they liked to run, but for me, it was just a hobby. I loved being outdoors, feeling the fresh air, and pushing myself. I felt a thrill from running fast and experiencing improvement. 

From a young age, there was an expectation for me to follow in their footsteps, with external pressure to perform and be the best, but that pressure never came from my parents. It came from journalists, the media, and strangers. I did my best to ignore the external noise and focus on what I truly enjoyed – running.

I had early successes as a young athlete, winning my first national title at 12, but then I struggled with growing pains and puberty and hit a plateau in the sport until a breakthrough around the age of 21. I never believed I’d be good enough to make it to the Olympic Games, but that dream became a reality in 2012, and I have been a professional athlete ever since.

Setting multiple British records and competing in three Olympic Games were achievements I never imagined possible. I am now working hard to qualify for my fourth Olympics, but I am already very proud of my journey. 

Early in my career, I was dealt a big blow by injuries. I had surgery on my foot in 2011 and now have seven screws and a metal plate in it. It was a real challenge to get myself back into professional sports, but I was determined to do so.

To read the rest of Eilish McColgan's story alongside the inspiring and insightful stories of 25 women challenging the status quo in sports, become a Disruptors member to receive a complimentary digital copy of the Disruptors: Women In Sports special edition magazine-book here. 

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Eilish McColgan is a professional long-distance runner. She represented Team GB at three Olympic Games – London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021. She holds the European record in the 10km on the road and British records for the 5,000m, 10,000m, 5km and 10K road, and half marathon. She also owns the European best in the 10 miles. 

She is a four-time European medalist after winning a silver in the 5,000m in 2018, bronze for the indoor 3,000m in 2017 and more recently, a silver and bronze at the 2022 European Champs in Munich over 5,000m and 10,000m. This came after an incredible summer during which McColgan became Commonwealth Games Champion over 10,000m, repeating her mother's victory 36 years earlier and breaking the Commonwealth Games record. A few days later, she doubled back to take a silver medal over 5,000m.