Keely Hodgkinson's story began some 23 years ago not far from this very track of SportCity. Now she's back, walking that blue surface she knows so well with Nike Ambassador Courtney Fearon, chatting as they go. “Atherton’s just a small town outside of Manchester,” she says, and there’s real pride in her voice when she talks about home. “It’s a very supportive community. I felt that with everything I've ever done. When I've been at school, my family – everyone's really supportive. And I’m quite proud to be from there.”

And it shows. Her school spotted her talent early – and did something about it. “They were quite big on getting the kids into sport,” she remembers. “When they realised – and I realised – that I had a bit of talent in running, they supported me and pushed me to do the cross-country events and all these things.” And they didn’t stop there. They gave her time off for competitions, showed up to watch her race, and made her feel like what she was doing really mattered. Even now, it’s clear how much that early support meant to her. “I still keep in touch with some of my old teachers” – because that’s the kind of person she is.

The real turning point came at 15. She'd set her sights on her first GB vest but narrowly missed out on it. "I wanted to qualify to get my first GB vest, which was at the European Youths that year. I came fourth at our nationals and I was absolutely fuming." But instead of letting that anger get in the way, she channeled it. "I was like, right, next year, we're going to make the GB team.” She ended winning the following championships.

Can you start to see the mindset of an Olympic champion? "I don't really think anything's much of a loss, it's more of a lesson," she says. "At that age, everything feels like the world's going to end if it doesn't go right, but it definitely was the motivation to go out and get it right."

And, years of hard work later, her medal collection speaks for itself. But her favourite piece of silverware? "Oh, well, it's obviously the Olympic gold. You can't beat that." But it's not just about the medal – it's also about everything that led to that moment.

"The Olympics are just a much bigger scale for us," she explains. "A lot more people are watching it, a lot more people are tuned in. It only happens every four years, which makes it way more prestigious because to be ready, to be in the peak of your powers in this one year, that only happens every four years, is actually really hard to do and doesn't happen for everyone."

For Keely, everything came together at exactly the right time. "To be there at my very best, knowing that I could win was like such an honour and we'd worked so hard to be there." Now, you probably wonder what it actually takes to sit on top of the world. Well, this is where things get interesting. Ask her about training and she'll tell you, quite frankly, that she enjoys the pain. "It's probably going to sound a little bit weird, but I quite like seeing how much pain I can stand." It does sound weird – but it makes perfect sense when she explains it.

But when you've won everything there is in athletics, how do you find the drive to keep on going? "I think it's just wanting to do more," she says. "I don't feel like I've actually done everything yet. I'm still so young and there's still so much more I want to do, and I feel like we can really push the event on."

So, every year is a blank slate. "I won the Olympics last year, but I've kind of forgotten about that now and it's on to the next thing and that's kind of how I can keep myself grounded and focused on the task at hand." Olympic gold one year, move on to the next challenge. Just like that.

Perhaps the most insightful moment comes when she's asked what she'd tell her 10-year-old self. "You know what? I'd actually tell her to change nothing, because it all kind of works out in the end." She quit running for a while because she wasn't enjoying it. "Thankfully, everybody respected what I wanted, and I came back around to it, and I got my ambition back for it."

That break could have ended everything, but it turned out to be exactly what she needed. Sometimes stepping away is the bravest thing you can do. "Everyone's journey is different," she says. "Enjoyment is key."

From Atherton to the top of Olympus, Keely's story isn't just about running fast. It's about staying true to yourself while chasing greatness. For her, that meant embracing the pain without losing the joy and making sacrifices without growing bitter. It’s easy to see why an entire town – and a whole country – fell in love with her dreams. And as she prepares to get back on track, one thing is certain: whatever the race, we’ll be cheering her on from the stands.